Outdoor Fitness: Tips on Exercising Safely

Some people just fare better with their exercise goals when they exercise outdoors rather than in a stuffy gym or their cramped living room. When they exercise outside, people reap the benefit of working out in the fresh air and having as much space as they need to tone their bodies.

 

However, when people make the decision to exercise outdoors, they may be advised to keep their safety and wellness in mind. By taking these suggestions, they can get the exercise they need to stay fit and remain safe during their workouts.

 

Wear Good Shoes for Running

Many people who choose to exercise outdoors often do so because they love to run. Running remains one of the best exercises that people can do to raise their heart rates and get their blood pumping. Even so, runners are encouraged to take their safety into consideration as they choose the best running shoes for this activity.

 

They are encouraged to choose athletic shoes that offer good ankle support, plenty of cushioning for the balls of their feet, and sturdy soles that are slip resistant and durable on all sorts of terrain. When they wear good running shoes, people can avoid falling down, twisting their ankles, and developing painful bone spurs in their feet when they exercise.

 

Watch Out for Danger while Walking

People who perhaps are not in the physical condition to run can enjoy a good cardio exercise by walking around the block in their neighborhood or around a local park. When people walk, they likewise raise their heart rates, lower their blood pressure, and trim their bodies with this beneficial exercise. However, as people walk around their favorite outdoor location, they are encouraged to watch out for dangers that could cause them to get hurt.

 

They should keep an eye out for tripping hazards like gravel on sidewalks, tree branches lying in their path, or loose dogs that could charge and bite them. If they plan on being out when the sun is setting, people are encouraged as well to wear light-colored clothing and carry a flashlight so they can see where they are walking.

 

Wear Helmets while Biking

Even as adults warn children to wear their helmets while biking, adults themselves are often remiss in taking their own advice. However, adults, just as children, are susceptible to head injuries if they should fall off their bikes. Rather than put their physical safety at such risk, adults should remember to put on their helmets prior to a bike ride and keep their helmets on for the duration of their exercising.

 

Along with their helmet, adults may also be reminded to wear padding on their knees and elbows. When they wear the proper safety gear, people can bike and enjoy this form of exercise without the worry of getting hurt.

 

Many people choose to work out their bodies in the great outdoors. When they want to stay safe and have an enjoyable exercise routine, they may do well to keep certain safety suggestions in mind.

 

 

Writer Melanie Fleury enjoys taking advantage of nice weather by moving her workouts outdoors. Having a family member that was injured while walking, she is very diligent in making sure she takes proper safety precautions. The blog at http://dgtucson.com/ offers information on injuries that can happen while outdoors and how to get legal help if someone is liable for your injury while exercising.

 

 

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pigpilot/5726087526/

Categories: exercise outdoors, exercising nbsp, fitness, heart rates, nbsp nbsp, nbsp wear, Outdoor, people, people walk, proper safety, running shoes, safely

Celebrate World Environmental Day With These Easy Steps

World Environmental Day is coming up, giving you a chance to do your bit to help improve the wellness and wellbeing of the planet.

 

Often, people are very unaware of how the environment impacts on them. Think about a shopping mall, for example; you can wander around for hours at your leisure, the air conditioning keeps you as cool as a spring breeze, the walking is all good exercise, and looking at nice things helps to reduce your stress, right? Actually, this is not strictly true.

 

A few years ago, a charity called Mind, which is the leading UK metal health charity, did a study with the University of Essex, looking at how the environment can improve the mental health. This was called ‘Eco therapy’ and involved using green spaces to hep benefit people’s mental health through activities such as walking or gardening. It also looked at the effect on people of simply spending time outdoors, watching nature, seeing the setting sun or simply sitting in the garden and enjoying the fresh air.

 

The study revealed that we have a lot to thank the environment for, as when outdoor walks were compared directly to indoor walks, those who had taken the outdoor walks said that the walk had boosted their self-esteem, whereas those who took indoor walks did not feel the same.

 

For the sake of the study, the group was also split into two, and some took part in an indoor activity and some in an outdoor activity. Those who took part in the outdoor activity said that it had lessened their fatigue, and helped to improve their depression and tension. When the indoor group was surveyed, it was found that most participants had felt no change in mood or had even felt an increase in their depressive symptoms by the end of the walk, and many said that their feelings of tension had increased, too.

Categories: day, environment, environmental day, Indoor, indoor walks, Mental Health, Outdoor, outdoor activity, outdoor walks, walks, world, world environmental

How to Use Nature to Heal Your Mind, Body and Spirit

Whether it is by going for a walk in the fresh air, looking at the sunrise or sunset, or simply surveying a beautiful green landscape, there is an environmental route to wellness and wellbeing. Many people believe that simply being in a pleasant environment can do wonders to heal the soul and to reinvigorate you.

 

The word nature itself comes from the Latin word ‘natura’ which means ‘the course of things, natural character’. This refers to the way that the animals and the plants of the world grow of their own accord, and the way that the weather, cosmology and geology all work independently and interact, such as rivers, mountains, stars, wind, sunlight and rain. Natural environments can be a blend of living and non-living components.

 

Psychologists claim that exercise and better physical fitness, when associated with a nature-based activity, leads to better health. The research behind this also shows that those who take outdoor exercise are likely to be more healthy than those who only exercise indoors – for example those who run on an outdoor track are likely to get more benefit from that activity than those who run on an indoor track.

 

Some research even indicates that being around nature can help to boost your immune system and can improve your heart health. For this reason, hospitals are often built with a view of nature, and it is widely believed that having a view of nature from your hospital bedroom window can help to reduce the recovery time and therefore the number of days you have to spend in hospital, and can also reduce the quantity of medications needed to treat medical conditions.

 

Being close to nature also helps to reduce stress and dramatically reduce the symptoms of ADHD, depression and anxiety, as well as psychosomatic illnesses.

Categories: environment, exercise, health, nature, nbsp, Outdoor, reduce