Exercise releases endorphins, improves physical and mental health and helps you sleep better.
Whilst most people might automatically think of the gym as the go-to place to work out, surrounded by dumbells, treadmills and rowing machines, taking things back to basics and exercising outdoors can bring more benefits. Trees, woods and forests help people feel better, encourage more active lifestyles and alleviate the symptoms of debilitating conditions. So, it makes perfect sense to combine your daily exercise with a trip to the great outdoors.
The Benefits of Exercising in Nature
There are countless benefits to working out in the woods. Whether you don your bicycle helmet and go for a bike ride, enjoy a run in the crisp morning air or even try your hand at some woodland yoga, you will soon reap some fantastic rewards:
Improving Mental Health
Scientific studies have shown that ‘green exercise’ can improve self esteem and mood as well as reducing anxiety disorders and depression. It’s not just the physiological effects of exercise, such as the release of endorphins, dopamine and seretoin that cause these responses. By comparing different exercise settings, studies showed that regular use of woods or parks for physical exercise reduced the risk of poor mental health, whereas no such pattern was found in non-natural settings like gyms.
Reducing Stress
Being in or near the natural world has proven to reduce stress and increase well being, whether you’re exercising or not. Simply having views of trees, plants and shrubs at work can increase employee well being, and having the same views from a hospital window can decrease recovery time. So, combining nature and exercise is a great way to alleviate stress.
Increasing Vitamin D
Of course, being outside in the sunshine when working out is a brilliant way to increase your vitamin D. Vitamin D boosts your immune system, help fights depression, promotes bone growth and prevents osteoporosis, so it’s an important vitamin to have. Get outside for your workouts from late March to the end of September for the ultimate vitamin D boost.
Get a Better Workout
Particularly if you’re a cyclist or a runner, opting to head to the woods instead of the gym can give you a much more intensive workout. While you may be able to adjust the incline on a treadmill or add resistance on an exercise bike, nothing can replicate the terrain outdoors. With steep hills and undulating ground, a workout in the woods is always full of variety, and allows you to push yourself harder.
Alleviating Boredom
As convenient as running on a treadmill or doing a workout DVD might be, nothing beats the thrill of exercising outdoors. It’s a great boredom buster too – you can work out while watching wildlife, trying your hand at foraging and exploring the wonders of the woods.
Saving Money
Finally, exercising in the woods is a much cheaper alternative to splashing out on a gym membership. So, if you’re looking to save money and reap the benefits of the great outdoors at the same time, while not venture out into nature for your next workout?
Reference: Hannah Vickers, The Woodland Trust.
Tree Weaver 