6 Reasons to Exercise Outside

Following is a Guest Post by Barbara from It Works Global. She is the Distributor of It Works! brand and have been in business  since 2009. If you want to know more about her or her business, please visit her at the website or her Face book and Twitter Pages. 

   Hi it’s Barbara Boser, Presidential Diamond Distributor with It Works!. I am honored to be doing a guest post on Momless Mom. I spend a lot of my time talking to women (sometimes men too) about their health. One of the key things that people leave out is exercise. Burning more calories every day will make such a big difference in your weight loss efforts. Burn more than you take in. Keep it simple. 🙂 Did you know that you burn more calories when you work out outside? That’s right, you do! Here are some more reasons why you should consider the street vs the treadmill.

6 Reasons to Exercise Outside

We all know regular exercise has myriad benefits. From improved mood to decreased belly fat, working out is good for everyone. Getting your exercise outdoors has some specific pros above and beyond just getting a quick jog in on the treadmill.

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It’s Fun

The sun shining down, the smell of fresh, green grass, and a light breeze across your skin — who wouldn’t choose that over staying indoors? Taking time for fitness in the great outdoors makes working out more fun. Studies show it can even make you more likely to workout again. That’s motivation that gym posters just can’t give you. Plus the scenery, the sweet scents of nature, and the mood boost from the sunshine can help you to workout for longer without really noticing.

Bigger Burn

Don’t skip the sunscreen. Nobody wants that kind of burn. When you workout outdoors, though, you’ll probably burn even more calories than you would working out in the gym. Studies of runners (treadmill vs. outdoor running), cyclists (stationary bike indoors vs. outdoor riding), and walkers have shown that people exert more energy in the outdoor activity. It’s due to factors like hills, wind drag, and simply enjoying the activity more.

Sleep Better

Before humans spent most of their time indoors, the natural light of daytime helped our bodies learn when to be awake and ready to work and when to start getting sleepy. Time spent in front of backlit screens (computers, smartphones, tablets, etc.) further disrupts our built in sleep-clock, called circadian rhythm. Our circadian rhythm affects melatonin production (the “sleep hormone”) and is the reason we feel jet lag. If you workout in the morning sunshine, you will help set your circadian clock, which will both help you fall asleep and wake up more easily.

No Germs

Okay, there are lots of germs outdoors, but there aren’t yucky gym germs. Exercising outdoors means you won’t be touching dangerous germs like Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which can be life threatening, or Pseudomonas aeruginosa (“hot tub folliculitis”) and very uncomfortable, but usually self-resolving infection.

Save Money

The average gym membership costs about $55 per month. That’s nearly $700 a year. Not a small price to pay for fitness. If you spend just half the year working out in nature, you’ll save yourself enough for a designer bikini to show off that figure you’ve been working so hard on or a nice little bonus to your retirement fund.

Get Your D

Vitamin D, that is. Some experts have said there is a vitamin D deficiency epidemic in the United States. As much as 75% of the population isn’t getting enough. The most obvious reason is that none of us spends enough time outdoors in sunlight. UVB rays, specifically, cause a reaction that spurs skin cells to start churning out vitamin D. Deficiency of the vitamin can cause bone pain and muscle weakness. Over the long term, it is associated with increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease, cognitive impairment, asthma, and certain cancers.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that adults aged 16 to 64 should get two hours and 30 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise per week, including two days of muscle strengthening moves. It can be done in 10-minute increments. A brisk walk to the corner store could count as one of your outdoor mini-workouts. Just three, 10-minute walks, five days a week will meet the CDC recommendations and bring you all these incredible benefits.

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