The first rays of the sun break through and you’re like a young deer that can’t wait to jump through the meadow, right? Yes, I’m talking to you. Stop binge watching on Netflix and get into the open air. You owe it to yourself for the following reasons.
1. You only need 5 minutes
Get rid of those excuses. According to the magazine Environmental Science and Technology, 5 minutes walking in a green environment is enough to experience less stress and stay motivated at activity level. The study shows that people who practice sports near a river or lake experience the greatest mental boost.
2. Running in a park burns more calories than on a treadmill
Wind resistance increases calorie burning by 10 percent, according to Harvard research. But it’s mainly your joints that benefit, as the hard, flat surface of a treadmill puts more pressure on your knees and ligaments. Time to say goodbye (at least for the next six months).
3. You’re spending far too much time anyway
According to a survey from the University of California at Berkeley, we only spend 7 percent of our time outdoors. And this survey comes from sunny California, so you can see how bad the average man is. Instead of scrolling through your Twitter feed, you’ll go round a block at lunchtime. Only 10 minutes of outdoor activity can give your creativity a huge boost.
4. Outdoor training is good for your self-confidence, but what’s better?
If you’d rather go for a good feeling than a personal record, a long walk is best for you. Do you have an important presentation or do you have an assignment to come up with new ideas or angles for a strategy? Pitch your ideas in a Silicon-Valley way: walking! Your self-confidence is greater than ever before.
5. Your vitamin D remains at the same level
Being active outdoors for 5 to 30 minutes twice a week ensures a good vitamin D level, according to National Institutes of Health. So that’s jogging on a weekday and stretching exercises on Sunday mornings in the park. Plan sessions between 11.00 and 15.00, when the sun’s rays are at their strongest. Please note: drink plenty of water.
6. Keep it warm
The air conditioning of your gym can be the reason for your plateau. Research from the University of Oregon shows that cyclists performed 7 percent better after being exposed to ‘heat training’ for 10 days. Exercising in warm weather keeps your body better at temperature and helps the heart pump more blood to your muscles.
7. Does gardening also count?
Sure it does! A study by Konkuk University discovered that digging and weeding counts as a good workout. Removing of weed even gets a MET-score of 5 (that’s the metabolic-equivalent value; anything higher than 3 is considered intensive effort). Digging scored highest with a value of 6.3, the same as strength training.
8. You lose more fat compared to a workout in the gym
Men who sweat outside the gym lose on average 3.2kg more than indoor types, researchers from California Pacific Orthopedic and Sports Medicine state. They also have 6 percent less body fat. And a healthy complexion, we assume.
9. You’ll last longer
Trade in your crosstrainer for a few laps around the park and you can easily go half an hour longer, says Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity – long enough to burn an extra 250 calories. It’s also a lot less boring, so get off that treadmill and make your (sports) life more fun. Do you get lost quickly? No excuse, you have Google Maps.
10. Do something else
One hour of climbing on a climbing wall provides 700-900 calories burned. With canoeing you can burn 500 kcal in one hour and with volleyball 350. Create your own original triathlon and you’ll see your body size shrink in no time.