Ain’t Nothin like the Great Outdoors
By Amy Bradley

The latest trend in fitness is exercising outdoors.  Fitness trainers across the United States and the globe are forming groups for outdoor workouts.  Escaping the crowds is only one of several benefits to exercising outside.

The actual workout itself has benefits that you can’t get in a gym.  Natural changes in terrain require more focus and are more demanding on our bodies.  Gravity, ground reaction forces, and environmental factors all cause us to use ligaments, tendons, and stabilizer muscles that would not normally be used while exercising on flat, manmade surfaces or equipment. 

Since the body is working harder, more calories are being burned during outdoor activities.  Gyms often have a variety of training machines; however, most of them tend to be static.  These static machines can actually cause an imbalance in the musculoskeletal system (postural distortion).  The machines also do not mimic our daily activities or sports and therefore cannot be used in functional training.  Nature is more conducive to functional training because the body is constantly adjusting to the environment requiring more balance, flexibility, core strength, and power. 

Exercising outside is great physically, but it also has mental health benefits.  Enjoying beautiful scenery rather than enduring a smelly, fluorescent lit room can give a sense of peace.  We can watch the sunrise/sunset, smell the honeysuckles, and hear the breeze blow through the trees.  Outdoor activities often provide a greater sense of accomplishment as well.  It is simply more fun to be outside in the fresh air and sunlight than to be on a machine and greater enjoyment will lead to more frequent and more efficient exercise. 

Not only are fresh air and sunlight more pleasurable than the alternative, but they are more healthy for our bodies as well.  Our skin produces Vitamin D in response to exposure to natural sunlight.  Vitamin D prevents osteoporosis, depression, prostate cancer, breast cancer, and even affects diabetes and obesity by controlling insulin.  Breathing fresh air is invigorating.  When we can breathe, we feel free and energized. 

The benefits to outdoor exercise are numerous.  So, whether you need a jump-start or are looking to liven up your fitness routine, head outside and have fun getting fit!