Five Sneaky Benefits of Exercising Outdoors
I’d argue that the best place to build muscle, in general, is still inside a gym. They have all the equipment you could need, free weights, etc.
Right?
I’m not here to say it’s “better” to exercise outdoors.
But there are several benefits you may not have thought about.
So we’ll review them here and give you something else to think about next time you’re looking to break a sweat.
Increased Energy
Turns out there’s some reasons to believe that you get more energy exercising outside.
You get sunlight.
You get (hopefully) fresh air.
And this one-two punch increases your energy and makes for a more intense workout.
I know myself — there have been days when I go to the gym and the energy just isn’t there.
In fact, we’ve all had days where we work out and don’t get much done.
A bad lift is better than no lift.
But it might just help to alleviate these bad days if you’re out there, experiencing sunlight, enjoying a breeze in a new location.
Ultimately when you’re working out, the goal is to bring the energy.
So might as well expose yourself to the greatest source of energy known to man (I’m talking about the sun if that isn’t clear) while you break a sweat.
Just like your ancestors did when they were chasing deer across the fields tens of thousands of years ago.
Don’t you feel connected to the good ol’ days now??
Mental Toughness
Here’s a good one — it’ll get you out of your comfort zone a little bit.
If you’re committed to exercising outdoors, you have to put up with the weather.
And despite conspiracies that the government may or may not control the weather, one thing’s for certain — you and I don’t.
That means it might rain.
It might be too hot or too cold.
But it’ll provide a new challenge when compared to a climate controlled gym environment.
I’m not saying to kill yourself working out when the conditions aren’t right, but when it comes to getting in great shape?
My money’s on the guy who’s jogging in the cold & the sleet.
And building up that warrior mentality doesn’t just apply to working out.
If you’re the kind of person that needs every factor to be perfect for you to take action, good luck.
Give me the guy or gal who says “To hell with it, I’m going to do what I came here to do.”
Exercising outdoors will build your mental toughness by putting you in an uncomfortable environment.
And that’s a good thing.
“Don’t be the guy who looks at the weather report and decides what to do the next day.” — David Goggins, certified insane animal person.
You’ll Have to Adapt Your Workout
This doesn’t necessarily sound good. And if you’re focused on training something specific, definitely keep up a steady routine.
But it’s good to mix things up as far as how you train.
Speaking from experience, if you do the same lifts in the gym, every single time?
At some point or another you’ll get burnt out.
And once you’re burnt out it gets real easy to break that habit of consistency.
If you exercise outdoors, you’re almost always forced to break that routine and do some new lifts.
They don’t have barbells laying around.
There are no cable machines in the open field or on the trail.
That means it’s on you to get creative with how you’re going to do a workout.
You may have to mix in some variations of pushups you never do.
You may have to make the most of some equipment at your local park you don’t typically use.
You may have to hang from a tree, or overhead press a heavy (not too heavy) rock, or do something entirely unorthodox to hit the same muscles as usual.
Not only does this engage the mind in a different, more creative way, but it also breaks your usual routines.
Next time you’re inside, your normal workout will feel fresh again.
Your muscles will ache in a different way to compensate for the new movements.
Overall, while hitting the same muscle groups, you’ve gotten a new lift in.
This is an invigorating feeling and will keep you consistently making progress at the gym far more than just doing the same thing over and over and over again until you can’t bear the thought of it.
As with most habits centered around consistency, it helps to switch it up a bit.
This is a great chance to do that both physically and mentally.
Take advantage of it next time you can.
You Can Work Out Barefoot
This is a little bit of a weird one.
And disclaimer: I’m not talking to you weirdos (love you) who work out at a barefoot gym. I know they exist. They’re just rare.
Why would you even work out barefoot though?
It turns out science has some pretty good answers, harkening back to before humans invented shoes. Awhile back.
Your feet, obviously, are the points from which you navigate the world on top of. But when you wear shoes, your feet have insulation and support.
That’s not all bad, as there are obvious reason we wear shoes.
But it comes at a cost.
Knee and back pain can stem from improper foot mechanics, and we can “train” our feet to regain their proper mechanics training barefoot.
Training barefoot increases ankle stability.
It improves our balance, as we have to rely on the foot itself a bit more.
Additionally, with the soles on ground approach, you actually gain a better sense of balance and your space.
When your body is connected to the ground, you are forced to become more aware of these things and better train the senses.
Increasing the flexibility and mobility of the foot can even help prevent hip problems.
In a society plagued by back, knee, hip and other various pains throughout the body, many of which are caused by our modern lifestyle, it’s important to try new things to alleviate these issues.
And training barefoot is a possible avenue for improvement there.
Try it out.
It’s Free !!!!
It’s free, baby !!! What more could you ask for?
Who needs that $75 a month gym membership????
Especially if you’re just a beginner.
For this one, I’m kind of fucking around with ya.
There’s obvious benefits to joining a gym. I’m a gym member myself.
But if you’re on vacation in a new place?
Or maybe you’re just getting started and are feeling a little intimidated by the gym?
This is your test run. Get outside and enjoy the fresh air like humans have been doing since we were monkeys. Break a sweat.
There’s no other gym on Earth where there’s no payment required and you can just get after it from day 1 — cardio, strength, whatever you’re feeling.
Down the road maybe you can upgrade to a gym membership, or if there’s specific weight training goals you have in mind, or a class you want to take, or whatever.
But do the least you can do. Get outside for $0 and exercise.
You won’t regret it.
These are five of the reasons for you to get outside and exercise, but I promise you, there are a million reasons. Fresh air and sunlight are nice.
And staying in shape is king, especially nowadays.
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