Indoors verses Outdoors Exercise
Exercise, especially outdoors exercise, is not only great for your physical health, it is also massively important for your mental and emotional well-being as well.
In our everyday lives most of us spend huge amounts of our time indoors. Whether at home, work or out shopping or socialising, our time is overwhelmingly spent indoors. And that means artificial light, stale or recycled air and predictable patterns of movement. Each of these factors is equally present when we exercise in an indoor space, such as a gym, large hall or even at home.
The exercise routines we undertake might work up our muscles, aid our balance and our strength, but when done indoors they are undertaken without challenging other parts of our being – our lungs, our eyesight and our ability to respond to quick changes in the world around us.
When we exercise outdoors, we breath in fresh air and the wind blows away more than last night’s cobwebs from our head. Outdoors, we can look up at the trees and the distant clouds – something not possible in a room and especially if there’s a screen in front of our eyes.
Outdoor exercise, whether in a class or solo, structured or informal, is also the best way to avoid, or at least dissipate, airborne bugs and viruses, which of course includes coronavirus.
Sunshine is not only free, its so important
Lastly, and perhaps the most important, is the free dose of vitamin D we enjoy simply by spending time outdoors in natural sunlight. It doesn’t have to be extended exposure and of course, we need to be sun-smart, but sunshine and sunlight is essential for our physical well-being.
Vitamin D in the form of sunlight enables the absorption of calcium in our bodies and this results in significant improvement to all parts of our physical selves, especially our bones and teeth. Without a regular intake of vitamin D all other exercise we do is of limited value, so you are not getting the full benefit of the time and effort you are putting into your exercise programs.
Improving your mood and de-stress your body
Exercising outdoors, by definition, takes you out into the natural world and there are countless research studies that show the mental, emotional and physical benefits of being outdoors. This is particularly so as a means of improving mood, unwinding from stress, improving optimism and self-esteem. This effect is further enhanced when your exercise time is adjacent to, or within sight of water, such as coast, lake or river.
Of necessity, each of us adults, men and women, spend much of our lives indoors, so taking the time to exercise outdoors has the synergistic effect of improving our physical condition, reducing our exposure to airborne nasties, improving our emotional mood and hence our mental well-being, and last but not least forcing a much-needed break from routine.
Get the most out of your exercise program
Each and every time you step outside and undertake some physical exercise you are maximising the energy, time and effort that you put into the exercise. The end result is a win-win-win outcome.
So, turn off the screen you are looking at right now, and get outdoors! You will be the one who benefits most from doing so.
Want to join others, just like you, and enjoy the benefits of exercise in a supportive and structured program – with the bonus of enjoying the outdoors? Then contact the team at Renewed After 50. We’ll show you what can be achieved, and we guarantee you’ll enjoy the experience.
View our Programs and Services for Fitness over 50’s and contact us today!