Outdoor fitness is commonly underrated, and the average American is 1/3 under the performance and participation expectations for the best overall body and mind performance and experience for good-health.
The benefits of working out outdoors are limitless, and many can even seek to add their weight-training routine to being done in their yard for perhaps a little Vitamin D, good for the skin, eyes, and mind. While the other benefits of running/jogging or walking on everyday, natural terrain may be more beneficial–and in fact for some safer–than utilizing a treadmill.
Let’s review 3 reasons why it may work best for you:
- The body and mind heavily rely, on a regular basis, the balance of natural, feel good chemicals, called serotonin and dopamine. While these chemicals and their benefits are experienced in a gym-setting, the strengthening of these chemicals in the brain commonly increase outdoors as you provide a constant change in environment for both your body, and mind to enjoy.
- Pushing yourself not only to go above and beyond in a changing environment to better your health, but also doing so at a no-cost fraction from your wallet! Many people, in today’s economy, struggle with the woes of financial-burden, and it’s absolutely free to get your cardiovascular strengthening and exercises in outdoors for the cost of $0. Additionally, some may find it more effective and desirable to begin and stick to an outdoor routine, as they have the flexibility to shift from running, to pushups, to even lifting a small weight they brought along at their own leisure–options you don’t realistically have in a gym-setting.
- Last but not least, let’s not forget the health benefits of running/jogging and walking to your heart and circulatory system. While you can achieve a high-level of cardiovascular exercise in a gym-setting, it is limited, and commonly accompanied by unsafe (think: side effects) stimulation of non-FDA approved pre-workout supplements. Why potentially counter your efforts by potentially endangering your health? Athletes and everyday people alike have been relying on walking, jogging, and running for many, many years to receive their daily, weekly, and even monthly cardiovascular activity, and a little is more than none!
Consider the health benefits listed below, and perhaps creating your own ‘workout crew’ to accompany you on your walks, jogs, or runs. The freedom of the outdoors, to most, is incomparable to the restrictions, expectations, and lack of privacy in a gym setting.