To boost your mood, take your workout outside
Working out outdoors boosts moods and has both short and long term benefits. I love this multistudy analysis which looked at the effects of exercising outside on 1,252 people.
The conclusions …
- Just 5 minutes working out in a green environment increased mood and self-esteem
- Every green environment produced benefits from small local parks to large national parks.
- Benefits were higher when near water
- Benefits were markedly improved in those with mental illness
How cool is that? Here’s some ideas to get a little boost from Mother Nature.
- Add outdoor activities such as hiking or skiing. Make time for them in your schedule. Great for lower body work and communing with nature.
- During lunch plan a power walk through a local green area. Burn calories and plan a healthier than normal lunch
- Pick up that paddle and go canoeing or kayaking to reap cardio, upper body & mood benefits.
- If you regularly bike, alter your path to greener areas. Burn the same calories but feel even better when you’re done.
Any other ideas? I’d love to see what you do to work out and feel the effects of Mother Nature.
Be well,
Lisa
Twitter
Being outside definitely boosts my mood, so I am trying to take advantage of the nice weather while it lasts. Besides going on walks, I try to “walk” my errands when I can. I am fortunate in that I live close to my post office, bank, and grocery store, so whenever I need to go to one of those, I walk instead of drive. Gotta soak it all in before winter comes around again…
Sahar,
Thanks for the comments. I agree, being outside just grounds you and I find I have longer workouts when I’m outdoors. All good things. :-)
Lisa