If you’re looking for a way to mix up your gym routine or just want inspiration to start being more active, studies show the answer is right outside your door.
Outdoor exercise — sometimes called “green exercise” — boosts the benefits of being active in ways you may not have thought of. OhioHealth Neuroscience Wellness Center fitness expert Tyler Yee shares how, along with tips for getting your move on outside.
What are the benefits of outdoor exercise?
“Getting outside in fresh air is good for everyone,” Yee says. Add exercise to the mix, and the benefits stack up. Taking exercise outside:
Challenges your body in different ways
When you leave a gym’s air-conditioned cool or toasty heat to exercise outside, your body has to adapt to a changing environment. Uneven or unpredictable terrain forces your body and mind to react and work in ways it doesn’t on a treadmill. Wind, rain or snow can ramp up the intensity of your workout, too.
Is a natural antidepressant
Whenever you exercise, your body releases the feel-good hormones that help reduce anxiety and depression. Take it outside, and you get a dose of even more natural feel-good medicine. Sunshine boosts mood-lifting hormone serotonin and vitamin D, which help reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Relieves stress
Just being outside and breathing fresh air can reduce stress and make you feel relaxed. Studies show it reduces the hormone cortisol, helping your body better respond to stress.
Saves money
You don’t need a gym membership to get a good workout. With a park, track, trails and your body weight, you have all you need.
Motivates you to keep at it
Studies show that outdoor exercise can make a tough workout feel easier. And when a workout seems easier or even fun, you’re more likely to do it and do it for longer.
What are the best outdoor exercises?
When it comes to finding the best outdoor exercise for you, Yee’s advice is simple: “Choose the one you’ll keep doing.” Build an exercise habit you’ll want to keep by starting with what you like to do. Whether it’s a walk, a run, pickleball, kayaking or biking, “Make it fun and fit you — something you’ll look forward to and not dread,” Yee says. “You want to build a habit you’ll stick with.” When you’re pressed for time, pivot to keep your routine going. “Even a five-minute walk instead of a 30-minute one is better than doing nothing.”
What are some safety tips for exercising outdoors?
Drink up
Water is a must-have friend when it comes to exercise. You don’t need sugary sports drinks to stay hydrated. Yee says to go for water and look for options that include electrolytes when possible. Your body needs fluids before you get out there, while you exercise and after, and, yes, even when it’s cold outside. But no surprise, your body needs more in warmer weather to stay hydrated. How do you know if you’re getting enough? Everyone’s needs are different, so talk with your provider about the amount that’s right for you.
Follow the rules of the road
It’s pretty simple: If you’re on your feet, walk or run facing oncoming traffic. If you’re on a bike, go with the flow.
Get noticed out there
When you’re biking, walking or jogging, help drivers more easily see you by wearing bright, reflective clothing. Reflective strips and a blinking headlight on your bike or helmet make you more visible in the early morning or as the sun sets.
Don’t forget sun protection
Sunshine’s one of the best parts about exercising outside, but too much of a good thing can turn on you. Protect yourself from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays by slathering up with sunscreen and donning UV-blocking sunglasses and clothing. And don’t forget a hat!
Exercise outdoors to connect with nature and yourself
Yee reminds us that exercise is about mind, body and spirit. “We exercise to be healthy, active and have fun. Being active outdoors gets you away from all the stimulation of a gym and allows you to be in the moment, observe and appreciate your surroundings more without being as distracted,” he says. “It’s a reset for your mind that helps you get a fresh perspective.”
