Time To Turn Your Exercise Regime Inside Out
Posted: Wednesday, January 13, 2010
by Ruth Malone
achieve more health and fitness training
Living a modern life, we can easily spend most of our day inside: working in an office, sitting on a train and then relaxing at home. After all of this it can almost feel natural to exercise inside in the familiar environment of a gym. But are we missing out on a perfect opportunity to experience a change of scenery and introduce something new into our lives?
If you've reached a plateau in performance, or just motivation, simply moving your workout outside could provide the stimulus you need. Without the safety blanket of gym equipment your exercises will become more functional, translating better into your day-to-day activities and improving your quality of life. You'll find that the natural surfaces outside subtly challenge your balance and core, something that becomes more important the older we get.
If you're brave enough to take on the hills, your workout will become more challenging. Even without the hills, running outside will burn more calories than running inside and constantly changing scenery should ease the pain.
Has exercise become another way to spend money?
Doing your exercise outside can drastically reduce the costs of gym memberships or the latest must-have piece of home exercise equipment. Playgrounds, trees and roads will become your new gym and entrance fees and membership fees are low or free.
Just want to get outside?
Just being outside will bring its own benefits. Getting out in the fresh air and enjoying nature lifts our spirits. Vitamin D from the sun will enhance our skin and research shows that being outdoors can also keep our brain in shape.
If reports are to be believed, we're in for a brilliant summer, so let's make the most of it!
Getting most out of your workout
Before embarking on an outside exercise programme there are some things we need to consider. Appropriate footwear is always important and should definitely be considered when exercising outdoors. The surfaces aren't always stable, but an appropriate shoe will reduce the risks of strains and injuries.
Consider the weather and the hours of daylight. With the right clothing, the weather is unlikely to present a problem, but it's easy to get caught out. Always think about the route you're taking and whether you will make it home before dark. Safety should always be paramount.
An outside workout can also be refreshingly free of the constraints of structure. Moving between machines in a gym can be an easy way to ensure a balanced workout, but replicating this outdoors with thought and creativity can pay tangible dividends.
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Top-level comments on this article: (3 total)Thanks Ruth, welcome. I enjoy keeping fit myself so enjoyed your article.
JonnyHi Jonny, I'm glad you found it useful. Ruth
Outside workouts are the best - it's always incredibly refreshing. Unfortunately, those plateaus you've written about are all too common! They happen to all of us - with food or with exercise. Mixing up your routine is key - keep your muscles guessing. All too often we let our body get used to a routine (which is great with sleep patterns, not so great when toning or losing weight).You have great ideas and suggestions for anyone - whether a novice or professional athlete. :)Thanks Meagan. Unfortunately we've had bad snow in the UK for the last week so exercising outdoors has been hard for many of us. We'll be back into the routine in no time though!
Hi Ruth, welcome to searchwarp!Thanks Richard!
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