OK, so 2013 started off pretty grey and chilly and perhaps not the best weather to entice us outside, but there are plenty of reasons to get out in the fresh air WHATEVER the weather.
The Bootcamp sessions I run take place outside all year round. We hope for mild, sunny days, but of course we’re in the UK so we do sometimes find ourselves working out in rain, sub zero temperatures, wind and even snow (thankfully not usually all at the same time)! I know that some people will be reading this thinking that sounds really unappealing, but when I asked my Bootcampers why they like to exercise outside, their answers pretty much summed up all the benefits.
I compiled all their answers along with some scientific fact to produce my top benefits of exercising outdoors:
1) Vitamin D.
This is a pretty obvious one but it is very important. A combination of rubbish weather and time spent working at your desk all day, means that it’s quite easy to become Vitamin D deficient. Vitamin D is required to absorb calcium and getting some rays can also help to boost serotonin, the “happy hormone”. Some studies suggest that low levels of Vitamin D could be linked to depression (see point 5).
2) Fresh air.
Nothing beats the fresh air after you’ve been cooped up in the office all day. Even at the weekend when you might be hiding from the elements infront of the TV, you can’t deny that a bracing walk really blows away the cobwebs. And of course on a nice day, who wants to spend time in a stuffy, sweaty gym surrounded by lycra-clad gym bunnies and grunting burly men? Ok, I confess I am stereotyping here, but you get my point. Take your workout outside and you’ll feel much better for it.
3) Camaraderie.
When it comes to group exercise, there is a huge sense of camaraderie, especially when faced with slightly adverse weather! Everyone encourages each other to keep going, mucks in and has a laugh. Working out in the great outdoors also provides a lot more scope for team games, relays, and regressing a bit to childhood (!), compared with doing a class in a studio faced with floor to ceiling mirrors and a pumping stereo.
4) Best showers ever!
This might sound slightly tenuous but seriously, the shower you have after exercising outdoors is always ten times better than any other shower you have ever taken. That feeling of washing off the grass stains, warming up your toes and feeling totally invigorated just doesn’t come with the communal showers at the gym.
5) Mental Health.
Numerous studies conducted in recent years show that any time spent outside has a significant impact on your mood, by increasing well-being and lowering stress. And exercising outside has been shown to have a 50% greater boost in self esteem and mental health when compared with exercising in the gym. In fact, it’s widely accepted that people tend to get better results and see more immediate effects when they exercise al fresco. Perhaps time passes quicker? I can certainly tell you now that running outside for half an hour will pass by in a flash, whereas as 30 minutes on the treadmill feels like torture.
6) It’s free!
Even a cheapo gym will set you back £30 a month, but you can take yourself outside for free. Lots of parks have gym equipment and you can run or cycle pretty much anywhere. If you do fancy making an investment then there are no end of opportunities from Bootcamps to rowing clubs, sailing to football.
7) Variety.
This leads on nicely from the above point, but your opportunities are endless when it comes to exercising outside. I am not intentionally dissing gyms per se, but most people get stuck in a rut when they go to the gym. They sit on the same old machines and stop seeing results. Join a club or a Bootcamp and you’ll never get bored. The body needs progression in order to see results. If you need to tighten your purse strings then running can still provide plenty of variety – different routes, changing scenery, the turn of the seasons… and in some interval training and sprint sessions and you’ll be “off the treadmill” (so to speak) for good!