Fit Facts: The Great Outdoors
At this time of year the lure of an indoor workout can increase so here are five facts on why training outdoors is super beneficial.
1. Sunshine – The vitamin D provided by exposure to the sun has great benefits. It strengthens our immune system, makes our bones stronger and also actually helps protect our bodies against cancer.
2. Fresh Air – There have been many studies into air quality that have proven indoor air to contain up to twice as many pollutants as outdoor air. So a regular visit to an outdoor Boot camp can benefit the internal body as well as help you get fit.
3. Mental Stimulation – Outdoor exercise provides mental stimulation that indoor workouts simply cannot match. It doesn’t matter if you’re working out at home or at your local gym, you’ll always be surrounded by the same walls and visual stimulus, whereas training outside means you have constantly changing scenery that excites and stimulates your brain.
4. Psychological Benefits – Exercising amongst nature gives a healthy boost to a person’s mood and helps combat anxiety, lowers tension and alleviates the high levels of stress that many of us get from our everyday lives.
5. More varied workout – When you train outside you come across many different types of terrain. You get flats, hills and different surfaces, i.e. concrete, grass and of course earth and mud! All these surfaces exercise your body in different ways that a gym doesn’t. Challenging your body in this way can increase the rate in which you improve your fitness levels.
So now you have the facts GO ON….Pull on that extra layer of clothing and get active outside this autumn/winter and reap the rewards.