Jun
5 Great reasons to get outside and exercise
Since we have sprung full force into summer this week we wanted to give you the top five reasons to exercise outside (besides working on that summer tan!).
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Endorphin boost
As we know, when we exercise we release chemicals called endorphin’s. These trigger happy, positive feelings and reduce pain perception, this combined with studies which associate being outdoors in the sun with relieving stress and depression is a great reason to get moving outside.
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You can exercise for free
Local parks are a great way to exercise for free, whether it be a run, a hill climb or now, many parks offer an Outdoor Gym facility, Street Workout Calisthenics frame or a fantastic Multi Use Games Area (MUGA). You can work out alone, with friends or even join one of the many local fitness groups which meet and utilise the free equipment. It also means all those pennies saved on your gym membership can be spent on a well-deserved holiday or fun day out.
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Minimise temptation
Being outside means no walking past that tempting vending machine or conveniently placed coffee shop at the sports centre at the end of your workout. We all know how easy it is to “reward” ourselves after a workout with a snack but being outside means there is nothing but sunshine and trees to enjoy after you have finished.
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You can burn more calories
‘Clock Watching’ is often a frequent activity at the gym, but less so outside due to distractions. It also means that if you go for a run or have walked to get to an outdoor fitness zone you cannot just “stop the treadmill” and be done with your exercise session. The journey home is often an added calorie burn that you just can’t factor in at a gym.
On a particularly windy day (we seem to get a lot!) the resistance from the wind will also aid your workout, whether you are running, cycling or working out on an outdoor strength gym unit, the wind will make your body work harder means more calories will be burnt.
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The scenery
Nothing can beat the view of a beautiful park on a summers evening. You are less likely to get bored with your workouts when outside, the scenery is constantly changing meaning you are more likely to exercise for longer as you will be distracted. No-one wants to be surrounded by other hot sweaty bodies in a gym with no air conditioning so get outside and experience the joy of working outside.
