Exercising outdoors increases your exposure to sunlight, enhancing vitamin D production.

Spring has sprung and it’s time to get back outside and reinvigorate your outdoor workout.  Outdoor exercise provides benefits beyond what you would experience by completing that same workout indoors.  Exercising outdoors increases your exposure to sunlight, enhancing vitamin D production, which has been linked to improving mood, promoting bone health, boosting immune system function, and reducing inflammation.

Four Outdoor Workouts to Get Started

1. Walking – it goes without saying, walking is the easiest form of outdoor exercise there is.  It’s also great for your health. Walking at a brisk pace raises your heart rate to a moderate intensity level which is beneficial to your cardiovascular health. Another bonus of routine walking is that it can help you control your weight or even shed a few pounds.
   
2. Hiking – Once you’ve been walking regularly, you can upgrade that workout to hiking.  Hitting the trails this spring helps to build muscle, clear your head, and enjoy nature. What better way to challenge your body than with a moderate-intensity hike at your favorite park, mountain or nearby trail. A one-hour hike can burn over 350 calories and will challenge and tone your muscles when you’re trekking on an incline. 
   
3. Biking – Hopping on your bike is an excellent way to provide a great workout!  If you are biking to lose weight, duration (the time you spend biking) matters more than the actual distance you travel. The course you choose may have the biggest impact on the number of calories you burn because it will affect both duration and intensity. For best results, choose a course that allows you to pedal consistently without taking too many breaks at stoplights or intersections. These short breaks cause your heart rate to drop, take up too much workout time, and decrease the calorie-burning potential of your ride.
   
4. Yoga – This relaxing form of exercise doesn’t have to be limited to indoors with a video.  Taking your yoga routine outside can feel like a whole new workout.  When you’re encouraged to “reach up to the sky,” you can actually do so with meaning.  Yoga helps improve flexibility, strength, balance, and endurance. Exercise boosts energy and mood, and yoga is no exception. Many who practice it do so for its benefits in terms of relaxation and stress management.