Good News About Exercising: The Outdoors!
Spring is here! Mother Nature awakens as the trees begin to bud, and the flowers sprout from the earth once again! Spring gifts us with another chance to evaluate our physical wellbeing. For me, spring is a time to begin again and enjoy the benefits of exercising OUTDOORS! In this article I will share some of the benefits of exercising outdoors, as well as how you can track your physical health and monitor it as you too begin again!
A review of studies published this year found increased benefits for mood and mental wellbeing in regard to outdoor exercise. "Compared with exercising indoors, exercising in natural environments was associated with greater feelings of revitalization and positive engagement, decreases in tension, confusion, anger, and depression, and increased energy. Participants reported greater enjoyment and satisfaction with outdoor activity and declared a greater intent to repeat the activity at a later date," according to the study abstract. This increased intention to repeat outdoor exercise is KEY to achieving, maintaining, and sustaining a healthy mind and body.
Exercising outdoors also fulfills your need for fresh air, vitamin D, not to mention extra play time with the kids or the dog! In regard to producing adequate amounts of vitamin D, everyone needs 15 min of sunshine a day, without sunscreen. There are also lights designed to give you the benefits of natural sunlight without the UV radiation.
[For more information on lighting that gives the same benefits of natural lighting, visit Dr. Pascoe's website www.drpascoe.com.]
Staying motivated for some is a challenge when it comes to exercise. This is what I love about spring and summer! There are endless ways to stay fit, and you do not have to do this alone! Below I list some tips that may make exercise more enjoyable and help you to stay motivated:
- Exercise with a friend! Set a schedule that works for both of you and stick to it! Set goals and encourage one another along the way.
- Change up your exercise routine. With the change in season there are many different things you can do to change things up. One thing I enjoy doing is exploring the state parks, hiking is a great workout! Also, if you only walk a certain route change this up as well. If you use weights, try resistance bands instead! Ride your bike around the neighborhood, or to work (save on gas and promote ‘green’ living). Do yoga in the park, this is quite relaxing not only for the body but for the mind as well. Explore the possibilities this spring, they are endless!
- Re-kindle your inner athlete by joining a local golf, softball, or volleyball league. Group sports are great ways to not only burn calories, but also to enjoy the company of others!
- Visualization- Stop trying SO hard to exercise and stay fit. Find pleasure in whatever you are doing to stay fit by visualizing all of your muscles working, and be grateful your body is working as it should. According to research, when you focus all of your thoughts on the muscles that you are working, they will respond better.
Finally, I would like to share a tool you can use to see what shape you are in. This is called your body mass index, or your BMI. BMI is a measurement of body fat based on height and weight. BMI can be used to indicate if are underweight, within normal range, or overweight/obese.
http://www.livestrong.com/tools/body-mass-calculator/
BMI provides a reliable indicator of body mass for most people and can used to screen for health problems associated with unhealthy weight counts based on your specific measurements. Please visit the site below to measure your BMI today! Livestrong.com also offers a wealth of information in regard to healthy diet; feel free to explore this site to better your health TODAY!
Dr. Pascoe is a strong proponent that good health is good for business. To find out more, visit her website at www.drpascoe.com.
Phone: 605/271-4109
Email: Dr. Pascoe
Website: www.drpascoe.com/
