There is nothing better than being outside on a beautiful day! Since most people spend about 90% of their time indoors, why not take your workout outside and soak up as much sun as you can? Whether it’s running, walking, hiking, or doing a strength circuit, there are many benefits to taking your workout outside other than just enjoying the nice day.
- Free dose of Vitamin D. Sun exposure is a great source of Vitamin D for the body and is shown to increase mood as well. This can be a tricky one though, because too much sun can leave you sunburnt as we all know. Be smart about it and if you feel yourself starting to burn, put on some sunscreen! (As a fair skinned person myself, I always wear sunscreen on my face. The rest of my body usually won’t burn from a 30-60 min workout outside.)
- Fresh air and scenic views. I don’t know about you guys but if I’m inside too much of the day, it can start to feel stuffy. Getting outside and going for a run or walk even just for 15-20 minutes always feels refreshing and gives you something different to look at rather than the inside of your home.
- Change in terrain. Exercising outside brings on a new challenge of adjusting to the different terrain and dodging obstacles that you don’t get from a treadmill or a perfectly flat floor in your home. This is not only a physical benefit but also a mental benefit, because your mind has to focus on the changing surfaces and tell the body how to adjust.
