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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I love to exercise outside because I can include my little one and our dog. Great to know you burn more calories when you work out outside!
I love running outside! It’s so much more centering than the gym for me.
I am not really an exerciser. But, when I have to take a morning walk to get the garbage can down the road and to the curb, or a late night walk with my baby in the moby wrap trying to get him to sleep, I am always surprised to find how much I enjoy walking outside.
The saving money on the gym is a great tip since some of us would probably not go every day, making it $10+ for each visit to the gym!
Great tips you have here. It is indeed important to go out once in awhile especially for freelancers who spend most of their time at home. Thanks for sharing
I LOVE to exercise and being pregnant is just a fun way for me to do it! Thanx for posting such informative information!
I do Love to exervise, however, due to allergies I spent my time inside but does a great amount of work in my Yard! Good to know all the benefits and thanks for sharing!
Unfortunately, due to severe allergies I am now unable to enjoy my daily morning walks. I miss it so much. I have continued to exercise inside but it truly is not the same. Seeing the morning dew on the plants and flowers, all the fresh smells and simply being outdoors was such a positive time for me. It was also alone time. A time for me to connect with my thoughts for the day to come.
Very good information.
I love working out in the gym, but I also love getting my occasional run outside as well! It’s so refreshing to breathe fresh air in and out while doing an outside run!
Great tips, exercising in a gym or at home is fine, but taking things outdoors helps to change a fitness routine up a bit.
I’m not crazy about the gym…maybe subconsciously this is why!! I do prefer being outside unless its pouring rain or snowing. But in the winter I switch up my workout schedule a little too. And I do spend more time in the gym!
Hi there, I read your blog regularly. Your writing style is witty, keep up
the good work!
I much prefer working out outside! When I run on a treadmill I struggle to get to a mile because it isn’t fun and is therefore that much harder. When I am running outside in the warm sun I can run 4 or 5 miles without too much mental effort. It is so much better! That is what makes winters so hard. I can’t really run outside when it is snowy and icy as I might slip and hurt myself, and the cold temperatures take away any fun to be had from running outside.