Is your exercise plan in need of a kick-start? Are you searching for ways to reinvigorate your fitness routine?
It might be time to skip the gym and head outdoors. Warmer temperatures and sun will give everyone a good reason to run, bike, or walk the neighborhood parks and paths.
The benefits are substantial. Runners and skiers who have maintained an outdoor fitness habit can use these transitional days to help acclimate their bodies to warmer temperatures. Those who have stayed indoors during the winter will enjoy the change in scenery and escape from the long lines and stale environment at the health club.
Local business owner Curt Bowen notes that Americans, on average, spend 90 percent of their lives indoors, and that number increases with age. Bowen, the owner and operator of several Complete Nutrition stores in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, adds that there are several benefits to training outdoors.
1. Increased Activity Level
While exercising indoors is valuable, research shows that exercising outside requires more energy, forcing our bodies to get better workouts and burn added calories and fat. Outdoor elements such as increased temperature, wind and hills provide a natural resistance and make our bodies work harder and burn more calories.