FITVINE MAG - MAY/JUNE 2019

5 Reasons You
Should
Get Outside
to Exercise
1. MENTAL HEALTH
Exercise sustains and improves our
physical health, but recent research
shows how brilliant it can also be for
protecting our mental health. Studies
have shown that outdoor exercise
can increase self-esteem, improve
mood and reduce depression.
2. GET YOUR FIX
OF VITAMIN D
The most natural way to get the
levels of Vitamin D your body
needs is through exposure to sunlight.
Vitamin D is a vital micronutrient
for promoting bone growth
and strength. It enables your body
50 FitVine
to absorb calcium, helps muscle
strength, and can also be great for
your hair, skin and nails. Remember
to wear high-factor sun cream.
3. IT’S A MORE
CHALLENGING WORKOUT
You are contending with the terrain
and the elements. A run along a trail
is much more challenging that one
on a treadmill, as the uneven ground
works your core stability. And lifting
natural materials, like logs that aren’t
evenly weighted, works your body
that much harder.
4. IT’S MORE FUN!
The rush of swimming in a lake is
something you cannot get in the local
pool. Running through a forest or park
is much more enjoyable than staring
at a treadmill screen. If it’s rainy and
cold, you might be reluctant to leave
the warm indoors, but you won’t care
about the weather once you get out
there and start moving!
5. LOW COST AND
EASY TO ACCESS
Everyone has access to the outdoors,
and it’s completely free! Wherever
you live, step outdoors and exercise!
Studies show that even exercise outdoors
in built up areas can improve
your mood compared to exercising
indoors, so you don’t need to live
near a forest to benefit from it.
The information in this article was
provided by Fitness at the Farm. Founder,
Leah Maclean, will be at FitFest Oxford in
June, hosting a talk on Intuitive Eating.
Reference: Jo Barton, Murray Griffin, Jules
Pretty: Exercise-, nature- and socially
interactive-based initiatives improve mood
and self-esteem in the clinical population
(2011) Perspectives in Public Health.