Let's Go Outside!

This morning Justin and I took Mila to open space for a hike and had the pleasure of watching a coyote stalk and catch his breakfast. It got me thinking about how more people should workout outside. It not only burns more calories, but you also get:

• Fresh Air
• Sunshine (We've all heard the recent reports about how we are all supposedly deficient in vitamin D...)
• The relaxing beauty of nature
• Seeing things you haven't seen before
• Finding hidden treasures in your own community
• You meet your neighbors and other active people in your community.
• No televisions
• No computers
• Adaptation: Your body learns how to better adapt to changing conditions, everything from climate to terrain.
• You can't quit. Say you're running on the treadmill in a gym. If you get tired, you can simply decrease your speed or quit. However, if you get tired while hiking or biking, you can decrease your speed, take a break and grab a snack, but you still have to go the distance to get back to the car.
• The terrain is real and not simulated so you actually get a better workout. For example, you burn more calories walking on a sidewalk than you do on a treadmill. Research also shows that people tend to walk slower than their normal pace when they walk on treadmills versus walking on the ground.
• It's a more relaxing environment than the gym.
  
• You gain a whole new level of respect nature and the environment.

So when you get a chance, take a walk, hike, go for a bike ride. Don't worry about the distance or pace, just get comfortable and try to find one thing you've never seen or noticed before. That thing can be an animal, a bug, a strange building, a new trail, etc.

If it's too hot, find a shady trail or wait until the evening when it cools off. Take your husband, wife, kids, dog, cat, parrot and lots of water and enjoy!

Copyright 2009 Amy Giaquinto