Heading outdoors to train is beneficial on a number of levels; financially, psychologically and physically.
Not only can you save yourself some money on gym membership and fitness class fees but you can get your much-needed dose of vitamin D. As the light dwindles during autumn it can seem like we go to work in the dark and get home in the dark so making the most of any daylight is really important.
Training outdoors is great for clearing your mind too; the changing scenery offers the opportunity to really switch off and is a greater distraction than the gym mat.
Here are 5 outdoor workouts you could try
Running – okay, so this one is bound to be on the list because it makes sense. It’s free, it’s accessible and you can start at any time anywhere. It’s great for cardio fitness and for releasing endorphins which improve your mood. Improved bone strength is another benefit of running and it is said to prolong . You could go it alone and use a smartphone app to get you started or you could join a club and meet other runners for some moral support and encouragement. There are different types of running; on-road, off-road (trial) and the latest craze which is vertical running where it’s less about distance and more about gradient.
Outdoor swimming – This has seen a massive surge in popularity in the last few years outside of the hard-core few swimmers who have been doing it for years. Outdoor swimming is literally a shock to the system which causes your body to produce extra white blood cells to protect itself boosting your immune system, it also causes the blood to be pumped to your vital organs clearing out your system and apparently it can even reduce cellulite! Plus, it’s a great calorie burner and it makes you feel fantastic!
Bodyweight training – With a sharp increase in the number of people taking park in weight based training routines such as Crossfit, it is inevitable that Bodyweight training would too increase in popularity. The great thing is, all you need is you! No free weights are needed, instead the body itself is used as the item creating resistance. This means you can practice on a mat at home, you can practice it in a park on a park bench the list is endless. It is a great way of building strength and muscle and offers the flexibility of being able to train in any location.
Cycling – Since Britain’s success in cycling at the Olympics and in the Tour De France the popularity of road cycling has increased massively. It’s a great way of keeping fit without applying vast amounts of pressure to bones and joints. You can cover great distances in a relatively short time so naturally once you start cycling you are driven to want to increase your distances.
Cycling is a sport the whole family can get involved and so is a great opportunity for productive family time.
If you feel sluggish it can get you back on track and feeling energised again and according to the National Forum for Coronary Heart Disease Foundation in the US, regular cyclists enjoy a fitness level equal to that of a person who’s 10 years younger.
Rowing – It can be quite intimidating thinking about joining a rowing club however lots of them have events where people can sign up and try it out to see if they like it. This is a great opportunity to meet other newbies so you can buddy up if you decide to go again. Rowing is a fantastic calorie and fat burner so is perfect if you are looking to lose weight. It is incredible for building strength, for improving stamina and for increasing your endurance plus it’s a genuinely fun sport and has an excellent social side too.
Hiking – There’s nothing better than taking in a fantastic view and there’s no better sense of achievement than hiking through forest or up a mountain to get there. Hiking offers a plethora of benefits. A hike over mixed terrain and gradients can burn up to 500 calories in an hour, but more than that it is excellent for all-over toning and is more forgiving to joints than some other forms of exercise such as running. It’s great for your mind too – research shows that it can help reduce depression and can encourage sufferers to pursue a more active lifestyle. Lowering blood pressure, reducing chance of stroke and heart disease are other reported positives of hiking. It’s really accessible too with so many places to walk in the UK; if you leave any city, even London, within an hour you are likely to be somewhere you can enjoy views of surrounding countryside. If you can’t encourage your partner or friends to hike with you, there are loads of clubs which offer different levels of difficulty.
Would you like to contribute? Tell us about your favourite outdoor fitness workouts.