Training outdoors gets you better results!
That is the number one reason why here at Body Shape Fitness we train outdoors in Ely.
Training outside is the quickest way to lose weight AND it comes with all the additional range of health benefits.
Sure, you can train inside in the gym but you’ll have to then spend even more time outside the gym to get all the health benefits that come with being outside! Whereas here at Body Shape Fitness in Ely, we do both at the same time, allowing you to get maximum results in the least amount of time.
Let’s look at the specific benefits to training outdoors as opposed to training indoors at an Ely gym…
All year-round benefits:
- Improved mood and natural anti-depressant
- Exercising outdoors with us provides a mental health boost much larger than that of an indoor Ely gym. Partaking in exercise outdoors has been shown to improve mood and reduce depression and feelings of anger.
- This is improved mood is partly due to vitamin D, which is discussed further down in this blog post, however sunshine also naturally increases serotonin, which is a hormone that affects your mood.
- Exercise itself produces endorphins, which is yet another feel-good hormone that boosts your mood and reduced pain. So, as you can imagine, a combination of doing exercise and being outdoors, is a super combination for mood improvements when compared to an Ely gym.
- That’s without mentioning the fact that you’ll be training amongst super friendly, like minded individuals, all of whom support each other to achieving their goals! Just having that general chit chat and support, is another mood booster!
- Cleaner and more hygienic
- Being in a clean and hygienic environment has possibly become more important than ever due to our battle with coronavirus. If you go to an Ely gym or are thinking about going to an Ely gym, know that it won’t be as clean and hygienic as training outdoors.
- The air indoors in 20x more toxic when compared to being outdoors
- Bacteria, viruses and mould spawn much much easier indoors
- Far more oxygen available when outdoors and you’re breathing clean outside air. It’s been evidenced that you’re far less likely to be infected or to catch any illness when in an outdoor space
- No end of clients have left Ely gyms during this pandemic due to their inability to avoid certain factors, e.g. being close to and breathing the same air as the other 30+ people in a confined space, or sharing equipment with other members.
When training outdoors in the colder months, the following benefits occur:
- Aids fat burning
- When exercising outdoors in the colder months, you actually burn more calories, which can result in greater weight loss and body transformation This happens because our bodies need to be kept at a certain temperature. Therefore, when we are in a cold environment, we burn more calories to generate enough heat.
- Fights inflammation
- raises something called adiponectin, a protein that combats inflammation
- Stronger via hormesis
- Hormesis being the introduction of a small stress to the body to prep it for future stressors that are even stronger, i.e. by working outside in the cold, you’ll be more accustomed to that next time and it’ll have less effect on you
- Strengthens the nervous system
- Cold temperatures act as a light ‘workout’ for the nervous system, which therefore strengthens it.
- Supports and speeds up recovery
- Reduces swelling, inflammation and muscle spasms
- Regulates Blood Sugar Levels
- Cold exposure can enhance the body’s response to insulin, allowing glucose to clear from the blood with greater efficiency.
- Strengthens the immune system
- Reduces pain
When training outdoors in the warmer months, the following benefits occur:
- Increased intake of Vitamin D due to exposure to sunlight
- enhance your mood
- strengthen bones and teeth
- prevent muscle weakness
- help with muscle pain
- improve energy levels
It also helps prevent against and treat;
-
- Heart disease and high blood pressure
- Diabetes
- Infections and immune system disorders
- Some types of cancer
- Multiple sclerosis
- Reduced inflammation and pain
- Heat exposure activates ‘heat shock proteins’ (HSP), several of these HSP’s have anti-inflammatory effects, with many studies linking the increase of HSP’s to reduced inflammation and pain.
- Improved brain health
- It’s also been shown that these HSP’s are protective to the brain, especially during a stroke or traumatic brain injury.
- Heat exposure has also been shown to increase levels of brain derived neurotrophic factors (BDNF). BDNF is important for brain development and has an impact on learning and memory.
- Detoxing
- The liver can get overwhelmed with removing all the toxins in our body, so by increasing the amount we sweat due to heat exposure we are decreasing the amount of toxins in our body.
What to do next
You’ve just read our guide that explains how and why training outdoors is considerably better for your physical and mental health.
You can now make the best decision for your own health, well-being and body. Click the following link to sign up to our 6 Week Transformation Challenge in Ely.