It’s August and with holidays being cancelled left right and centre, the last few months has forced us to embrace the beauty that’s right on our own doorstep. With all it’s negative effects I’m sure most of us have pulled a few positives during lockdown.
Spending time outdoors walking places we would never have given time to before, chatting to friends and family online or at distance, cutting back on the luxury’s we’ve become so accustomed to ….
Having time to reflect and experience a new way of life can only make us grateful for what we have around us and the simpler things in life.
What about exercising outdoors? What are the benefits and how can it help with our wellbeing and results?
I’m not for a minute saying ditch the gym but what I’d like you to think about is how we can embrace outdoor fitness and reap the benefits. So what are they…..
Sleep insomnia
When you exercise outdoors, you get fresh air which helps to alleviate insomnia. Regular exercise and fresh air will help you to fall asleep and improve the quality of your sleep!
Reduces stress & blood pressure
Regular physical activity outdoors can help lower a person’s blood pressure and heart rate. As a result, exercise outdoors feels less strenuous than similar exercise indoors, which, in turn, pushes you closer to your maximum performance. Even with our new found online and home workouts, we can perform them outside in our gardens with fresh air surrounding us
Sunshine & mood
Granted we don’t get too much of it but when the suns shining so do we. Fresh outdoor air and natural light invigorate and provide more energy for the mind and body. Sunshine provides the vitamin D that we need to boost our immune system and lift our spirits!
Switching things up
Break the routine! Perform your indoor workout outdoors and include movements such as bodyweight exercises, which are easy to do outside. Most bodyweight exercises are multi-joint movements and therefore super effective! A bodyweight workout will enhance your coordination, balance and mobility in particular.
Group training & motivation
Training in a group, outdoors, sunshine and fresh air are surely the perfect combination. Sometimes it’s a challenge we need to re-boot the system and ignite our motivation to get fit
So, whether exercising alone or in a group, remember every minute we spend outdoors we are clocking up the healthy points for both our physical and mental well being.
