Outdoor exercise offers many benefits for mental and physical health. Here are several.
1. Outdoor Workouts May Reduce Stress and Anxiety
Have you ever noticed that you feel better after spending time in nature? It’s not just you. One study found that when young adults with obesity began walking in the park or gym, the park group felt less stress and more enjoyment than the gym group.
The reason is that walking in nature lowers levels of the stress hormone cortisol (as measured by salivary concentration cortisol) more than walking in an urban environment does, according to one study.
Those who walked in a green environment also reported improved stress levels and general mood, leading the researchers to conclude that being in nature has a therapeutic effect.
“Being in nature can leave individuals refreshed and rejuvenated because it gives them a sense of being away from the stress and demands of their ‘normal’ life,’” says Todd Buckingham, PhD, a visiting professor of exercise science at Grand Valley State University and an exercise physiologist at PTSportsPRO in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
2. Going Outside May Extend the Time Spent Exercising
An older study found that older adults spent significantly more time being physically active outdoors than indoors, as measured by self-reported survey data and an accelerometer (step counter) they wore for one week to track their physical activity.
“The enjoyment of a beautiful day or fresh air can cause us to lose track and spend more time working out than expected,” Bernard explains.
3. Exercise Outdoors May Improve Sleep
Any exercise can help you sleep soundly. But taking it outdoors may amplify that benefit. “Daily exposure to natural light helps regulate sleep-wake cycles and your circadian rhythm,” Dr. Buckingham says. “So exercising outdoors is better for your sleep than (either) exercising or spending time outdoors alone.” But he adds, it’s not yet known whether this improvement is significant.
4. Outdoor Workouts May Boost Vitamin D Levels
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin important for bone and immune health, muscle function, and brain activity. It’s found in fatty fish, fish oils, and fortified dairy products, but your body also produces vitamin D (the “sunshine vitamin”) when exposed to the sun. Exercising outdoors in the sunshine may help you get more vitamin D.
You still need to protect your skin from the sun when you go outside, which you can do by applying sunscreen. Sunscreen only slightly lowers vitamin D production.
5. Outdoor Exercise May Boost Self Esteem
Exercising in nature can improve self-esteem and lessen feelings of anger, tension, and depression. The researchers behind an older review found these mental health improvements come through after just five minutes of outdoor exercise.
6. Activity Outside May Improve Memory
A small study found outdoor exercise led to greater attention and memory benefits than indoor exercise. And it didn’t take long to see benefits — all it took was a 15-minute outdoor walk.
The researchers behind the study suggest that these effects come from increases in blood flow to the brain’s prefrontal cortex (the front portion of the frontal lobe that affects problem-solving and emotions).
Blood flow is boosted during exercise, which can help increase attention to the task at hand. In addition, outdoor natural environments prevent the brain from focusing on unimportant stimuli.
“The outdoors is known as a ‘restorative environment’ where people don’t have to focus on a particular piece of information or have distractions that may take their focus and attention away,” Buckingham says. “Therefore, it could allow us to recover from mental fatigue and help focus our attention.”
7. Outdoor Workouts May Lower Chronic Disease Risk
A study found that adults who spent more time outdoors during the week engaged in more moderate to vigorous physical activity. More active adults also had a lower risk of chronic disease than those who were less active and spent more time indoors. The researchers say these findings are partially explained by activity levels. Still, more research is needed to explain how being outdoors may lower chronic disease risk.
