Good time to brush off your exercise regime and get outside

Now that winter is gone, the gloomy skies are getting brighter and the vegetation is blooming again. It’s a good time to get outside and start exercising. We all need to work out all year round, but the colder it gets, the more difficult it is to get up and exercise. Well, now that spring is here, it’s time to put in more effort and to accomplish your fitness goals.

Why is spring a great time to exercise outside?

First of all, spring provides the perfect weather for outdoor workouts. Scientists have observed that exercising outdoors comes with a number of benefits that aren’t as pronounced when we workout indoors. A study that was published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology indicated that outdoor workouts are more energizing and revitalizing than indoor workouts. Other experts have also observed that you are more likely to push yourself harder during outdoor workouts than during indoor workouts. For instance, if you are jogging on a treadmill, it’s easy to stop because all you have to do is to step off from the machine. However, if you are jogging outside this spring and you feel like stopping, you still have to run all the way back home. When you exercise outdoors, that childlike feeling in you is activated, and the exercise feels less like a task you have to perform and more like playing. In other words, your workout will be more enjoyable if you do it outside this spring, and that means it will bring you more physical and mental health benefits.

 

How you can shake up your exercise regime this spring

Ride a bike

Biking is one of the most effective workouts out there, but nobody enjoys doing it through the harsh cold winter air. Well, now that it’s warmer outside, it’s time to dust off your bike and take it out for a spin. If you have great bike lanes between your house and office, you can choose to ride your bike to work every morning. If that’s not an option for you, you can always take up biking on the weekends. Feel free to pack a picnic basket and make a whole day out of it.

Jog outside

During winter, you were probably stuck working out indoors, running on your treadmill, jogging up and down your staircase, or maybe you even suspended your workouts altogether. Now that spring has come, it’s time to jog outside in the fresh air again. Take advantage of the outdoor terrain to make your jogs more challenging. You can even ask a few friends to join you on your jog to make it more fun. Depending on where you live, you can jog in the park, on sidewalks, or out in nature.

Sign up for an athletic event

Is there a public athletic event being organised in your area in the near future? Spring is a great time to take part in events such as marathons, half marathons, charity walks, and bike races. You can check your local news websites to see if such events are being organised in your area, and you can challenge yourself by enlisting for one or more of those events.

Join an amateur sports team

You and your mates can start an amateur sports team that plays after work and on the weekends. You can easily find a few friends with whom you can play football or rugby out in the park. If you come across strangers playing a sport you love, ask to join in. You’ll improve your fitness and make new friends at the same time.

Take an outdoor fitness class

If you prefer a more structured exercise regime this spring, you can sign up for an outdoor workout class. Many gyms offer outdoor aerobics, tai-chi, and yoga classes, so you can ask around and find out if there are such classes near your home. Some parks also organize free outdoor workout sessions where any passers-by can join in.