With the weather we get in England, it is
sometimes difficult to motivate yourself to get outside at all in the week.
However, venturing outdoors is extremely beneficial for the body, and exercising
outside has benefits that go beyond the fresh air. Here are the top
5 reasons why you should put on your outdoor trainers and get down to the park
for a spot of outdoor exercise:
1. Brain Stimulation
Interacting with nature gives your brain a break from everyday overstimulation, which can have a restorative effect on
your attention levels. By looking at nature rather than the four walls you see
when you workout inside, your mind will switch off more effectively and will
get a much deserved break from the constant stimulation it has in everyday
life.
2. Mental Positivity
Studies have shown that simply looking at photos
of nature can lower your blood pressure and stress levels, therefore working
out in the nature enhances these effects; it is known to reduce stress and
anxiety and even helps with depression. Whether a hot sunny evening or a cold
winters morning, getting your heart racing in the fresh air makes you feel more
active and helps to give you that positive boost that you sometimes lack.
3. Quicker Results
Without realising it, your body tends to work
itself harder when exercising outside. The terrain is varied which means that all
sorts of muscles that you don’t necessarily train on a daily basis have to work
overtime to remain balanced. Working out on concrete, grass, mud and earth helps
to keep your muscles constantly stimulated. Weather conditions also work your
body in different ways, adapting to sun, rain, wind or snow.
4. A Better Workout
Having the view of trees and greenery rather than
the four walls at the gym helps to relax your mind and therefore stops you focusing
all of your attention on how tired your body is. This, in turn, allows you to
push your body a lot harder than you usually would without even realising.
5. Health Kick
Exercising outdoors is also known to boost your
immune system. Recent research from Tokyo Nippon Medical School has shown that
people who spend more time outside have an increased white blood cell count
(white blood cells fight sickness and disease in our body). Therefore, moving
our workouts to the outdoors could help improve our health and stop us getting
as ill when those viruses start to circulate in the colder months.
So next time when the allure of the gym starts to
beckon, think about the above and remember that the fresh air, tree surroundings
and muddy terrain could be all you need to give you the health and positivity
boost you need.
Interested in more fitness facts? Follow me on Twitter @GeorgieDonk
