By Anthony J. Yeung, Esquire
The gym is great, kind of.
It's where you do tough workouts to improve your conditioning. But
pretty soon, it starts to feel like you're jumping from one fluorescent
box (work) to another (the gym). All the while, you miss out on good
things like sunlight and fresh air. Since gyms don't come with
retractable roofs, it's time to take advantage of warmer weather. Here, a
breakdown of why you should add outdoor training to your routine this
spring, plus an effective workout (and warm-up) you can do in virtually
any park or outdoor area.
[post_ads_2] Why To Do It Outside
You'll Probably Enjoy It
In a study from Exeter,
researchers had two groups of people walk the same distance: one group
indoors and the other outdoors. As you would imagine, exercising outside
led to more enjoyment—more enthusiasm, pleasure, and self-esteem, as
well as less tension, depression, and fatigue.
[post_ads]Why? When it comes to exercise, perception is everything: If you perceive something is difficult, it will
be difficult, and visa versa. Despite the fact that exercising outside
is actually harder—considering humidity, wind resistance, terrain, and
dodging pedestrians—there was something about being surrounded with
nature that made the participants feel relaxed and at ease. In your
case, you will be able to go longer and push yourself harder without as
much fatigue as inside a dusty gym.
You'll Save a Lot of Money
This
one is self-explanatory. Good gyms can be expensive, and the way many
people have their fitness arranged, they pay for a gym, yoga studio, and
spin studio. That's like $400 a month right there. Meanwhile,
exercising outdoors is free. Have a spin membership that you don't use
often? Ditch it and go biking outside. Driving all the way to a gym just
to do bodyweight moves? Find a park and do them in a field of grass.
Also, if you want to improve your outdoor training, invest in a weighted
vest—it will add far more resistance to typical bodyweight exercises
for more strength gain and fat loss.
You'll Benefit from the Sun
Sunshine gives you Vitamin D, which is crucial in reducing heart disease, diabetes, and even prostate cancer.
While you can find Vitamin D in foods and supplements, the easiest way
to get it is via the sun. Sunlight also helps keep your biological clock
ticking correctly and stimulates more melatonin production at night so
you can sleep faster and deeper. There's even research that suggests sunlight on its own can help prevent obesity and diabetes. (Just make sure to wear sunscreen if you will be outside for longer than 10 minutes.)
You'll Stay Germ-Free
What's
cleaner: a run through a park or on a treadmill that gets wiped down
every hour? I'd take my chances at the park. Big corporate fitness
centers have dumbbells, yes, but they also have MRSA. One study found
that gym equipment has over 350 times more bacteria than a toilet.
And as someone who worked in several gyms, let me warn you: Regardless
of how often we cleaned, gym members did some questionable shit.
