Who doesn’t love autumn? The leaves are beginning to turn, the ground is hardening up, and those crisp misty mornings are just insta-worthy every single time!
Autumn is a great time to start an outdoor exercise routine. Not only is it cool enough to stop you overheating, but moving your exercise regime outdoors will help boost your immune system by topping up your vitamin D levels (more on that below!).
Daily Exercise
Even with the strictest of lockdowns, the government wants us to keep doing exercise. The fitter you are, the better your chances of avoiding hospital stays and complications if you’re unlucky enough to catch the virus.
What’s more, exercise is good for the mind as well as the body, and taking a form of short exercise outside every day helps to dust off the cobwebs of sofa living.
Why Outdoors?
So, why should you exercise outside? Here are five reasons why outdoor exercise is really good for you.
It’s Mood-Boosting
Did you know that exercising outside has been scientifically proven to boost your mood and reduce tension? Being outside for just a few minutes can work wonders on your mood and self-esteem, and all of that fresh air you’ll be getting will boost the serotonin (the happy hormone) in your freshly oxygenated blood.
It’s Addictive
Addictions aren’t usually good, but when it comes to exercise, a healthy love of exercise can be great for your body. When you switch your exercise regime to outside, you’ll always be faced with new environments, new wildlife, the changing seasons, and (from a distance) new people too.
Just make sure you dress appropriately for both the weather and the light levels. Wear a high viz, maybe some lights, and consider some calf and thigh support to help reduce the chance of injury; the bamboo supports from Bearhug are a great option.
Outdoor Exercise Can Boost Concentration
Did you know that regular exercise is one of the recommended additional activities for adults and kids with ADHD? Regular exercise helps to regulate executive functions and burn off excess energy. If both of those factors are in sync, it’s much easier to concentrate. Whether you have ADHD or not, these results will be the same, especially if your job is very sedentary.
It’s Good For The Immune System
Vitamin D is a vital vitamin to keep your immune system in top working order, and we all know a healthier immune system puts us in a much better position to fight illnesses.
The problem is, in the UK we don’t get enough vitamin D during the autumn and winter months as it is, due to the lack of light. Switching your exercise routine to outdoors will help you to soak up as much (or as little!) of the sunlight as you can, keeping your vitamin D levels topped up all through the darker months.
Being Outside Boosts Energy Levels
There’s nothing like the cool crisp bite of the morning wind to really boost energy levels and get you going in the morning, or even the afternoon if you’re a night owl, and exercising outside can really help with that.
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