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Gyms: Not the Healthier Option

To answer the question: What's Always With You & Healthier Than a Gym - it's the outdoors. Yes, gyms have a couple nice features like a treadmill on a super rainy day and a sauna. However, I still prefer to workout at home where I get lot's of natural light coming in. Plus, exercising at home is a big time saver.... and cheaper too.

So, instead of the hassles, stuffy recycled air, and monotonous atmosphere in a gym - not to mention somebody else's sweaty fluids on the equipment - try the at home & outdoor options. With minimal equipment at home - I can lift weights, do HIIT/LIIT (high/low impact, interval intensity training), strength & flexibility Yoga, kickboxing, and primal flow workouts.

Besides DVD's, there's 2 online platforms you can add to your smart TV that have butt kickin' workouts, like YouTube. Pick the instructors who are motivating & challenging and join one of their classes. Remember, if you're not putting in the effort, you're not getting the amazing benefits.

You can take advantage of the outdoors during a lunch hour get-away, a weekend mini-retreat, or a 2 week vacation. Just do the physical activities that you enjoy.

Try to get 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise/activity for 5 days/week for mental & physical health.

As for me, I love the outdoors. It's where I have the most fun doing activities that keep me fit and happy. My top 3 are hiking, kayaking, and biking, but I'd like to get back into snow skiing & horseback riding. Bonus: it's easy to take weights, ropes, or a yoga mat outdoors.

The More You Get Fit, the More You Get Energized

Studies have proven that getting consistent exercise & being physically active will do 2 critical things: it improves the amount of oxygen you inhale & improves blood circulation. Your body gets more efficient at circulating oxygen to your lungs, heart & muscles. Also, with increased blood flow, your body is able to transport food nutrients to your muscles & organs more efficiently.

The bottom line: the more you get fit - the more energy you have, the more stamina you have, and therefore the less fatigue you have. I mean.... how awesome is that? And with most people, the better you feel the more you'll want to challenge yourself.

The outdoors is always with you and healthier than a gym - that's your invite to go enjoy the beautiful outdoors no matter where you are. It requires no appointments, no monthly fees, and no hassles. Well.... maybe a little hassle if you don't have an electric pump for your kayak or your bicycle gets a flat.

The outdoors is healthier than a gym in 4 ways:

1. The outdoors provides sunshine & fresh air.

2. You're not limited to the gym in one location. You have the whole world to romp around in.

3. The outdoors has a variety of terrain, wind, and temperatures - offering better balance, mobility, overall strength, and potentially more calories burned.

4. Your senses are delighted with beautiful sights, interesting sounds, and the smells of nature like the beach or woods. Plus, you can find little treasures along your way. Won't find any of that in a gym.

Sunshine & Fresh Air

Sunshine & fresh air are vital components to a healthier life. Have you heard that people living in areas with only 4-5 hours of daylight can get depressed more easily than those with normal hour of daylight & sunshine. Vitamin D comes from sunshine, and places closest to the equator get the most sunshine. Places closest to the north & south poles get 24 hours of daylight, but only in the summer whereas the longer winter season is just darkness.

Sunshine can help with weight loss. The vitamin D in your body helps minimize fat cells, maintain our metabolism, and regulate our appetite. If you need to regulate your sleep cycle - within 1 hour of waking, get 5-15 minutes of sunlight or 15-20 minutes if it's cloudy.

Vitamin D is needed for bones, the immune system, absorbing certain minerals, and blood cells. Sunshine also helps your body produce serotonin - the feel good hormone that reduces stress/anxiety, gives you more energy, keeps you focused, and lifts your mood.

Don't forget sunscreen if you're going to be in the sun for more than 20 minutes.

Socialization

Being outdoors gives you plenty of natural ways to accidentally "bump" into someone (oops!), that hopefully leads to a new friendship. People at the gym usually want to focus, and keep moving thru their routine. Outdoor people on the other hand will usually enjoy a short conversation before heading off.

Hikers & kayakers are prime targets, unless it's in the middle of a section of rapids. Here's an ice-breaker hack - people with dogs are almost always friendly especially if you start with "you're dog is so adorable or beautiful, what breed is he/she?" You'll have a captive audience at a dog park, and dog owners would welcome a nice conversation. I used to meet lot's of women & men there.

Volunteer Outdoors

Another option for physical activity, with an added boost of complete satisfaction is to volunteer somewhere. It's a double Win-Win for you and a Win for them. Every week, I volunteer at a therapeutic horse facility. While it's pretty much non-stop activity with the horses, the clients, and around the property - it's really enjoyable and satisfying.

More Fun

I mean, it's NOT really exercise if you're having fun outdoors. Right? I mean, who doesn't love a gorgeous sunny day. The outdoors has such a variety of possibilities both during the warmer & colder seasons. The outdoors also has options for the beginner to the advanced, and the extremes. You won't get the excitement of conquering a mountain on a stair climber, or the thrill of the rapids on a rowing machine.

There's also public parks that offer exercise equipment circuits, equipment rentals, and plenty of hiking, biking, and kayaking in the gorgeous outdoors.

Examples of Calories Burned

Harvard Health Publishing has compared gym exercise vs. other activities. The statistics below are the calories burned for a 155 pound person doing the activity for 30 minutes. Calories burned is less for smaller people & more for heavier people. Also, the effort to burn the calories listed are for normal activity, not done vigorously.

Gym: Weight lifting 108 Volleyball 108 Gardening 162

Gym: Stationary bike 252 Ice skating, tennis 252 Mowing lawn 198

Gym: Elliptical machine 324 Bicycling 16-19 mph 432 Shovel snow 216

Sleep Quality

Being outdoors in the sunshine for just 10-15 minutes every day helps the body's internal clock - your sleeping & waking cycles stay on track. Once that happens, you'll find you can fall asleep and stay asleep better.

Studies have proven that when you add moderate intensity activity into the mix, processes in your body & brain - which includes more happy hormones & less stress hormones - will improve sleep quality.

Mental Health

The outdoors helps lift your mood and overall feeling of happiness & wellbeing. It helps reduces stress, anxiety, and depression which in turn lowers blood pressure & heart rate. The outdoors also improves your focus. Being in nature can truly be a source of healing & restoration.

For Variety - Indoor Activities

• Dance lessons - salsa, ballroom, or kickin' line dancing. Or, go dancing on Friday nights & have a blast with friends.

• Bowling with a friend or with a team.

• Rock climbing - indoor options are fun if it's too cold outside.

• Classes - kickboxing, martial arts, and yoga. Some are offered outside.

• Swimming laps - for a little variety, throw in a couple dives.

• Racquetball indoors if it's not available outdoors.

• Ice skating indoors & out. I used to love ice skating....I wasn't triple Lutz good, but I could do a few twirly tricks.

• Spring clean your house - Uh.... sorry, NOT on the fun list!

Bottom Line?

The outdoors is with you where ever you go, even if it's your own backyard - for an everyday fun wellness program.

• Rock climbing - there's places all over the world you can attempt to conquer.

• Yoga engages all your muscles, challenging strength, flexibility, and balance.

• Swimming uses more muscles simultaneously for total body benefits.

• Outdoor exercise circuit park. For upper body strength, try battle ropes.

• Bring hand weights to the park for upper/lower body workouts.

• Gymnastics - practice your moves at the beach or in the park.

• Go paddling. Paddle a kayak/canoe down river for fitness & mind relaxation. Or, paddle a tube, raft or kayak down in whitewater rapids. I guarantee it'll supercharge your happy.

• Rollerblade along a river walk and have fun exploring for miles.

• Bicycling from low to high intensity. Or, go mountain biking.

• Hike up & down the mountain for a solid leg & cardio workout.

• Hike to your favorite destinations - my favorite is hiking to waterfalls.

Ideas: Move to Your Groove

If you're by yourself, and need to get into the mood here's a fun hack: bring your favorite tunes & start moving to your happy jam. Pretty soon, you've already done 1/4 mile! Here's a list of fun outdoor activities.

• Gardening for an hour will boost mobility & strength, and calm the mind.

• Golf, and for added calorie burn carry your golf clubs.

• Horseback riding, and don't forget to brush him/her afterwards.

• Snow skiing and water skiing.

• Scuba diving & snorkeling.

• Ice skating & sledding if you walk back up.

• Cross country skiing & snow-shoeing.

• Dog sledding in summer or winter.

• Volleyball & tennis.

• Badminton & pickle ball.

• Do 5k mud or obstacle runs. It's fun & challenging, especially thru deep mud. The 7 foot high wall with no rope assist was daunting and my butt needed a hand boost.

• Team sports: softball, kick ball, baseball, hockey, basketball, football, rowing, polo, and rugby.

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