Food
Farmers
Sustainable Living
Living Planet
News
May is National Physical Fitness Month, and now that the weather is nice, let’s celebrate by exercising outdoors! No matter what your fitness level may be, you can benefit from being active outside. Below are the top five reasons to exercise outdoors:
Get Your Daily Dose of Vitamin D
Walking, running or doing anything outdoors for 20-30 minutes a day is a great way to get your heart rate up while also soaking up some Vitamin D. This can help improve your mood, give you better sleep at night and support metabolic functions. Be sure to wear sunscreen and sunglasses for days when the UV rays are high.
It’s Free
There are plenty of ways to work up a sweat outdoors that don’t require a monthly fee. You can easily create your own workout space on a patio, grass or sand using a yoga mat and your own bodyweight. There are many exercises that require no equipment such as with push-ups, squats, planks and crunches. Need an extra push? Download a free Tabata timer on your phone and do each set for 30 or 45 seconds.
Explore Your Surroundings
No matter how long you have lived in your neighborhood, you will always find something new when you go out and explore the area by foot. Get out and go for a walk, take a jog down a new street or even hop on a bike. Exploring is a great way to take your mind off of actually doing exercise.
No Time Constraints
If you have ever wanted to make it to your favorite spin class or bootcamp but couldn’t because of the class time not fitting in with your schedule or if your plans to hit the gym were ruined by the gym being closed, outdoor exercise may just be for you. You can technically workout anytime of the day outdoors, even at night if you are in a safe area and wear reflective gear. For people with hectic schedules, it may just be more convenient to set your own time to exercise outside near your home. You can even go for a brisk walk on your lunch break near your office.
It’s Social
Outdoor workouts are twice as fun with a partner. Working out with a partner or group of people allows you to stay motivated and on track. It’s also a great way to socialize without having the loud music of a gym in the background.
