EXERCISING OUTSIDE

Exercising outside offers the benefit of cleaner air quality while you’re huffing and puffing. “In the FLU PANDEMIC of 1918,” says Dr. Turknett, “some patients were nursed in open-air tents, and they found those patients fared better than those who stayed indoors, due to the benefits of fresh air and sunshine.”

COVID-19 SPREADS EASILY IN GYMS, CDC FINDS

If you're going to work out at an indoor gym, you — and everyone around you — needs to be wearing a mask. That's the message sent by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in two reports detailing outbreaks at workout facilities, both of which occurred due to lack of adequate protections.

  

SO, IS IT REALLY OK TO WORKOUT INDOORS? HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW.

ACCORDING TO THE CDC IF POSSIBLE, OPT FOR AN OUTDOOR WORKOUT

While the CDC provided guidance for fitness studios and patrons regarding indoor workouts, authors Kass and Adalja concluded that, "exercising outdoors could further reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmission risk." Both Kass and Adalja said they would recommend opting for an outdoor class, but neither think that a low-risk trip to the gym is out of reach. "You have to have certain mitigation measures in place to make it safe," says Adalja. 

MOVEMENT OUTDOORS IS INTRINSICALLY TIED TO OUR HUMANITY. FOR 99% OF HUMAN HISTORY, NOT ONLY HAVE WE LIVED OFF THE LAND AND SOUGHT NATURE FOR BASIC SURVIVAL AND HEALTH, BUT ALSO FOR PLEASURE AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY TOO.

Exercise itself is important, we all know that, but what are the benefits of exercising outside? Is it possible one could receive additional benefits simply by taking it outside? Evidence seems to support the fact that outdoor activity kicks in some additional benefits when it comes to exercise. Research shows that exercising outdoors can actually increase the benefits you derive from activity.

According to a study at the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry, there are tons of health benefits of exercising outside. Dr. Michael Depledge, senior author on the study, explains, “Our research, which brings together data from a wide variety of sources, adds significant weight to the case for spending more time in the natural environment as members of the public and their clinicians fight to counteract the negative outcomes of modern living, such as obesity and depression.”

ShaNay Norvell, a certified fitness instructor who leads classes at Cancer Wellness, shares her take on workout outdoors. “If you’re going through cancer treatment, getting outdoors can be part of the healing process,” says Norvell. So, with that in mind, what are the additional and amazing benefits of exercising outside over doing the same old, same old at your local fitness facility?

  • SUNSHINE: Vitamin D is a necessary nutrient you get from the sun. Studies show a lack of vitamin D can contribute to depression and the “winter blues.” It’s a good idea to get a certain amount of real sunlight each day.vitamin D, a vitamin that plays a crucial role in many body processes, from bone development to our immune system. Sun exposure also plays a role our immune system in other ways, as well as in healthy sleep — and in our mood. Our bodies work best when they get some sunshine every day. 
  • IMPROVE YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM: “Exercise leads to an increase in natural killer cells, neutrophils, and monocytes, which ultimately increases immune function,” says Ather Ali, ND, MPH, assistant director of Complementary/Alternative Medicine Research at the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center. Researchers in Japan also measured what happens in our cells when we’re surrounded by fresh air and discovered that a single day trip in the outdoors can boost your immune system for more than a week.
  • BREATHING PLANT CHEMICALS: Scientists have also recently noted that breathing in phytoncides — airborne chemicals produced by plants — increases the body’s white blood cell count, improving its ability to fight off infections and diseases. All of these add to the growing body of evidence that indicates that outdoor air serves as a natural disinfectant.
  • YOU'LL WORK OUT LONGER: Whether you power up and down a set of bleachers in your favorite park or preforming bodyweight exercises, the distractions of your surroundings takes your mind off the work of working out. As a result, you'll end up going a lot farther than you would have if you'd been walled in. "You can press 'stop' on a treadmill, but you can't turn back time after you've walked or jogged three or more miles," says Hollywood-based trainer Kristen Anderson, founder of My Daily Trainer.
  • YOU'LL BURN MORE CALORIES: Research shows that exercisers burn 10 percent more calories when they walk or run outdoors than they do when they hoof it inside on a treadmill at the same speed. "When you're caught up in your environment, you're less focused on how tired you are or how much your muscles ache," says John Porcari, an exercise physiologist at the University Wisconsin-La Crosse. "We did a study where subjects rode through a virtual countryside and raced against other people, and we found they exercised 12 percent harder because they were distracted."
  • BOOST SELF-ESTEEM: Hey, exercise is where it’s at if you’re not feeling the love… get yourself going and enjoy the benefits of both the great outdoors and moving your body. 
  • CHANGE OF SCENERY: Bored with the same old, same old? Not anymore. The outdoors is always a little different. And, a change of scenery can boost your motivation and spark a desire to try different exercises.
  • ALLEVIATE DEPRESSION: If you’ve been finding yourself feeling low and leaning toward depression, getting yourself out the door can help. There’s just something about being outside that seems to lift your mood and bring on the happy. And science supports this. According to research reported in Environmental Science Technology, “Compared with exercising indoors, exercising in natural environments was associated with greater feelings of revitalization and positive engagement, decreases in tension, confusion, anger, and depression, and increased energy.”
  • COMMUNE WITH NATURE: There is something to be said about the meditative qualities of just being outside in the fresh air and sunshine. Getting away from all the electronics, piped in air, loud music, and gym chaos is a welcome reprieve.
  • GET FRESH AIR: Don’t underestimate the power of fresh air. According to a study on environmental pollution, trees help clean the air of toxins, and naturally, getting away from piped-in air is a good thing.
  • EXTRA ENERGY: You’ll also get a natural boost in energy, according to scientists, to help you lose that addiction to energy drinks and caffeine.
  • HAPPINESS: People report feeling happier when they exercise outdoors than when they do so inside a fitness facility. Feeling the sunshine, smelling flowers and freshly cut grass, and getting a boost of fresh air has been shown to significantly boost mood.
  • BETTER WORKOUTS: Studies show that you use more energy covering the same “distance” outdoors versus when you’re inside. You burn more calories and studies even show that people put forth more effort during outdoor activities.
  • LESS STRESS: Interestingly, studies have shown lower cortisol levels among those who exercise outdoors.
  • MOTIVATION: This seems to increase when exercising outdoors. Researchers can’t really pinpoint why, but outdoor exercise does tend to push people to do more.
  • IT’S A NATURAL ANTIDEPRESSANT: Outdoor exercise can help ward off seasonal affective disorder (SAD), depression and anxiety because sunshine naturally increases serotonin, a hormone that affects your mood. And exercise itself produces endorphins, another feel-good hormone that boosts your mood and reduces pain.
  • IT CHALLENGES YOUR BODY: “When exercising on ever-changing outdoor terrain, your body is more challenged than when it is working out on a flat indoor surface,” explains Norvell.
  • IT PROVIDES MENTAL RELIEF: “Many people feel a lot of tension about working out, losing weight, and lowering their blood pressure,” she explains. “Outdoor exercise is enjoyable and feels more like play than a chore.” You can turn it into a social outing. “Exercise can become a lot more fun if you involve family and friends,” she says. Consider taking your family and friends out for a walk together instead of watching TV.
  • IT CAN BE A TEAM-BUILDING EXPERIENCE: “Joining a team can help you stay consistent with exercise and it can bring back those feelings you had as a kid playing outside—and unlike high school, no athletic ability is required,” says Norvell.

SOURCES:

www.piedmont.org/

www.webmd.com/

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