Here are two photos of the “gym” in my apartment complex.
Awful, right? It looks more like a dungeon literally full of outdated equipment more so than a gym. I never even know where the remote to the television is. When I first got into fitness years ago I committed 4-5 of my mornings to the gym. Now I don’t! Here are 6 why you should exercise outside starting today!
1. Natural incline variations: have you ever been on the treadmill and watched the machine count down right to the moment when intensity would increase? I have and it makes the workout tougher because I’m dreading that moment and forcing myself to push through. When you’re outside it’s easy to get so caught up in the beauty of nature that you don’t even realize when you hit a slight incline or texture changes in the ground. You’re building muscle without much thought.
2. Photo ops: I’m always taking pics. Maybe it’s the blogger in me! That moment when you just pushed through a workout and Mr. Sun decides to shine down on you brightly...you can’t get that in a gym! Snap a pic.
3. You might find a cool shop or eatery: during one of my walks I found a farmer’s market less than a mile away from my apartment! I’ve also met some really nice people while walking through the surrounding areas of my neighborhood. A nice lady even told me once that a food truck comes to my area every Friday. I had no idea!
4. Vitamin D: research shows that Vitamin D plays an important role in our overall well-being including bone and dental health. Research also suggests that absorbing sufficient amounts (based on age) can aid in depression. Natural sunlight is one of the easiest ways to get this – it’s not called the “sunshine vitamin” for nothing!
5. Nature never closes: when I had a gym membership there were a few occasions when I got email notifications that the building would be shut down for one reason or another. Renovations, water pipe burst, holidays. No one has ever stopped me from exercising outside. Just get dressed and go!
6. It’s FREE: I can’t say this about many things. I’m a frugal gal so if I can save money somewhere I surely will! Gym membership – removed from the budget.
Gyms and fitness studios are still a good backup plan for the winter time and rainy days. Sometimes though a breath of fresh air is literally what we need. I’m grabbing my bottle of water and hitting the pavement today.
See you out there!
Written by Candace McGee from The Quirk Life
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