The Great Outdoors
Although we may not all be nature lovers, that doesn’t mean our bodies share our opinions. In fact, exercising outdoors is one of the best things for our bodies! Outdoor exercises can include things like walks, outdoor sports, going for a jog or a bike ride, or even doing plyometric exercises–really, it’s just taking what we do inside, outside!
Sometimes known as “green exercise,” physical activity around nature has become increasingly popular due to its benefits, some of which I will get into down below, but if you want to find some great sources, I’ll include those as well! So, to spread awareness of the amazing things the outdoors can do for you, here are three scientifically proven benefits of exercising outdoors (it’s okay guys, don’t thank me all at once).
Boosting Mental Health
Exercise in and of itself is one of the best ways of improving mental health, but exercising outdoors takes the benefits to a whole new level. Researchers from Michigan State University found that exercising outdoors “on a daily basis has been shown to improve mental health by reducing levels of stress, anxiety and even improving symptoms of depression.”
In another study performed by researchers in the UK, over a thousand people of all ages were taken out to a retreat that focused on healthy outdoor activities, like sports, exercise, and hiking. These participants were given full mental health examinations before and after the retreat, and the researchers found that nearly every participant reported feeling better about themselves physically and emotionally, and that “[those who had reported mental illness] had one of the greatest self-esteem improvements.”
Of particular interest for those who live near lakes, rivers, and oceans, they noted that “every green environment improved both self-esteem and mood in all age groups, but the presence of water generated greater effects.”
You don’t have to do a full nature retreat, but spending just a few active minutes a day can make a big difference in your mental health.
A Healthy Heart
Good heart health is important for everyone regardless of age or fitness level. Keeping your heart healthy is one of the biggest reasons humans should participate in regular exercise, as having a healthy heart has been linked to increases in both quantity and quality of life.
If you want to get the biggest bang for your buck when it comes to heart health, though, outdoor exercise is the way to go. A literature review published by the National Library of Medicine and BioMed Central reported that outdoor exercise led to improvements in “heart rate, blood pressure and autonomic control (using heart rate variability) and endocrine markers including noradrenaline, adrenaline and cortisol (an objective measure of stress).”
There are theories as to why outdoor exercise can improve heart health in this manner; some researchers theorized it had to do with the fresh air and oxygen intake, while others thought that the increased levels of vitamin D (from being outside) had to do with it.
It Makes Working Out… Easier?
Not actually easier, but kind of! You see, how easy something is and how easy we perceive something to be are, technically, two different things, but when it comes to exercise, we always want it to feel easier than it actually is. Not in the “oh my gosh I can lift the heaviest weights with my pinky” kind of easy, but the “oh my gosh I could do this for 15-45 minutes every day, thus improving my cardiovascular health, as well as my general physical and emotional health” kind of easy.
In one study performed by the University of Stockholm, researchers found that running outside vs running on a treadmill had some differences in ease, reporting that the outdoor runners “perceive exercise to be less demanding when performed in the natural environment.”
Another study had participants run on a treadmill and outside, going the same distance at the same pace, and found that outdoor runners got better exercise from the activity, despite the level of difficulty reported being more or less the same.
This study reported that “running outside was more beneficial, because a runner will exert more energy while running outside because of the air resistance. Since running outside provides the runner with realistic conditions, including changing gradients and weather conditions, one can conclude that running outside will provide the exerciser with a better workout.”
The Nitty-Gritty Truth
Now, I haven’t been lying about any of this, and you can cross-examine my research if you’d like, but what I really want to emphasize is that exercise is important. While doing it outside has particular benefits that I believe warrant the practice, that doesn’t mean you have to do it if you don’t want to.
In reality, exercise is important, and exercise has benefits, and just because research suggests that exercising outside has specific benefits, doesn’t mean that you should abandon your gym. Do what works best for you. This article has just provided some reasoning for exercising, and hopefully some motivation to keep up with your health.
So, if you want to do your workouts outside, the benefits are there for you! It doesn’t have to be much–everything from hiking, jogging, swimming, biking, participating in outdoor sports, or just moving your regular exercise under the sun qualifies as outdoor exercise.
