Your Ultimate Guide To Exercising Outdoors If You Never Have Before
During the depths of lockdown, the most visible shared experience – other than the weekly clap for the NHS – was the daily exercise people took in their local parks. Running, walking, and stretching became our means of attempting to upkeep some normality – as many of us tried to keep our minds healthy.
Some of us are yet to see the advantages of outdoor exercise, having been glued to the gym (or sofa) for so long. But it’s not loo late to start. Personal trainer and fitness expert Ben Walker, owner of Anywhere Fitness, is a huge advocate for it – and has given us some tips to get started.
Firstly, it’s important to remind ourselves of the huge benefits exercise outdoors can have on our mental health. “Cabin fever is an issue that arises from spending too many hours indoors,” says Walker. “People experiencing it are subjected to feelings of distress, restlessness, irritability and depression.
“By changing your environment for one or two hours per day, you’ll feel more motivated during your workout, and avoid feelings of claustrophobia at home. This can lead to increased productivity at work.”
Another benefit is that you can pretty much exercise anywhere outside – so you’ll never be able to make the excuse that the gym’s too far away! It’ll save you money on membership costs and transport fees, too, as well as giving you the flexibility to do it as and when you want.
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First up, you might want to get some basic kit.
“Resistance bands – I like these ones – are the ultimate kit to carry around,” explains Walker. “They’re almost weightless and fold into any size. Impressively, you can complete a full body workout with bands alone. Tie them around your legs or ankles and push outwards for a lower body workout, or stretch them apart with your hands for...
