Going to the gym is very convenient: you can exercise in a well tempered space with all devices and utensils you need, while listening to background music. But nevertheless, isn’t it monotonous and boring to exercise over and over again at the same place? And in general, wouldn’t it be nice and refreshing to work out in fresh air? There are lots of reasons to choose outdoor sports over indoor sports.
First of all, it is much more varied to exercise outside instead of doing it in a closed, sticky room. Different than in the gym, you’re not always seeing the same walls, doors or sport devices. You can experience nature, explore different areas of your city and meet new people, while running, cycling or skateboarding. Moreover, there are far more attractions that act on you, like birds twittering or weather conditions. Last but not least, you will be faced with different kinds of terrains, like gradients or surfaces such as mud, grass or stone ground. So nature as a surrounding area encourages attention as well as elevates the mood.
Regarding mental health, outdoor sports significantly improves the overall well-being and quality of life. Concerning this, cortisol reduces greatly when you spend some time outside. So a workout session outside is much more stress reducing than a workout session in the gym. Another benefit of outdoor sports is that you can fill up with sunlight. Thereby your body can absorb vitamin D, which is necessary to strengthen your bones. Additionally, it helps to prevent diseases like cancer or depression.
But even more important than vitamin D is oxygen. Due to the physical exertion you will inhale more deeply. Thereby more oxygen will get into your blood. This oxygen will boost your brain performance as well as helps your body with repair tasks on a cellular level. In the gym, however, you aren’t provided with lots of oxygen.
That’s why outdoor sports are perceived to be revitalizing. Another positive aspect about outdoor sports is the fresh and cold air that leads to an increased blood flow. This, in turn, reduces tension and induces relaxation. Furthermore the immune system is strengthened by so called microcracks, which result from resting on the forest floor, for example.
Last but not least, it’s way easier to exercise in fresh air compared to the gym. Concerning this you don’t have to drive to some place to start your workout or wait a certain period of time to use sport devices. So the easiest thing you can do, if you want to work out, is to step outside your house. According to all these positive aspects about outdoor sport, you should definitely give it a try. Just choose a kind of sport that you like and start.
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