Outdoor fitness constitutes exercises that you perform outside of a building to improve your physical fitness. You can undertake these activities in the wilderness, park, or any other outdoor location. Outdoor fitness activities involve things like bike riding, trail running, beach volleyball, paddle boarding, park strength training, and swimming.
Benefits of Outdoor Fitness Activities
But, why should you exercise outdoors? Here are the benefits of outdoor benefits:
- You burn more calories: Whether you run or cycle, you are bound to encounter wind. Wind offers you natural resistance that will prompt you to work harder to overcome it. In the process, you will end up burning a lot of calories.
- Acts as an antidepressant: Outdoor exercises can help you manage anxiety, depression, and seasonal affective disorder. This is because sunshine enhances the release of hormones such as serotonin that will boost your mood.
- Cost-effective: Outdoor workouts are free of charge. Why? Most parks, sports tracks, and nature trails are often open for access by everyone.
- Variation in a workout: When you work out outside, you are bound to take part in various exercises. For instance, you can go from weight lifting exercises to jogging based on what you want to do.
- Opportunity to experiment: Have you ever tried street workout or parkour? Well, outdoor workouts offer you a chance to try them out.
- Chance to turn exercises into family time: The beauty of outdoor fitness is that you can get other people involved. For instance, you can take your family hiking, electric bike riding, among other activities.
How to achieve outdoor fitness goals
For you to successfully engage in outdoor fitness, you need to:
- Get the proper gear
If cycling is your preferred exercise, you should invest in a motorized bicycle kit or an exercise bike. This device works to ease your pedaling effort thus, it reduces physical exertion. It also minimizes your risk of getting into accidents.
You could also get other portable gear such as a yoga mat, resistance bands, dumbbell set, skipping rope, among other equipment. You can use any of these workout gear for outdoor exercise based on your physical activity routine. While you invest in proper gear, you should not forget to upgrade your footwear and clothing. This might seem obvious, however, proper attire will also enhance your outdoor fitness.
- Adhere to local regulations
Outdoor fitness has become popular among people in the last couple of years. Different towns have different policies on outdoor fitness. Therefore, before you begin, you need to double-check with your local municipality whether there are permits that you need. That is how you become compliant!
- Be respectful
You should ensure that you do not litter the environment where you are working out. Also, given that you are not the only one exercising in the park, you need to recognize and respect other people’s rights. Do not forget that the outdoors is a public place for use by the entire community.
- Uphold safety
The outdoor presents a couple of safety concerns hence the need to put in extra considerations. Among them are:
- You need to familiarize yourself with the area that you will be exercising. If the place does not appear safe, you need not go there.
- You should also refrain from using earphones during your outdoor activity. Why is this the case? Earphones would limit your ability to be alert.
- Also, when it comes to your clothing, you need to wear reflective attire for better visibility. Reflective clothing ensures that you will not be hit by motorists during your workout.
- Accidents are common in any workout. Therefore, you need quick access to a first aid kit to patch yourself up should you get injured.
- You need a bottle of water to quench your thirst as you exercise.
- Have a mobile phone with you to call for help should the need arise.
Conclusion
There is no doubt that outdoor fitness offers you a ton of advantages. Although for you to reap these benefits, you need to have an elaborate plan on how you will go about this physical activity routine. You also need access to proper gear, adhere to regulations, uphold your safety, and be respectful to other people and the environment. Given that outdoor fitness is the new normal, you should get yourself out there ASAP!