For some reason, in the recent years, we associate exercising to the gym, to fitness or yoga classes, to anything that is paid or has a membership. As if there aren’t any other easy ways to break a sweat.
But the freegan in me has given this some thought, because there are amazing ways to get fit just being outside, and it apparently fuels your happiness even more.
I mean come on, take a look out your door. You don’t want to miss out on these beautiful fall colors, do you? Screw the gym!
Why you’re better off exercising in the outdoors
You’re not giving your money to a big corporation: Most of gym goers pay their membership to a chain-based gym that comes from abroad. While you’re out there running on the treadmill, a big boss is swimming in excessive cash. Hm.
You get to keep your money: Hey, how much do you spend at the gym? 50? 100? 150€? Just imagine how many other cool things you can do with this money. If you spare a year off of 50€ monthly costs, that makes 620€. Quite a vacation budget.
You can live the seasons: Brightness in the summer. Beautiful nostalgic colors, falling leaves and damp forest smells in Autumn. Winter’s frosted silence. Spring’s natural rebirth and flowers. The outdoors are always in movement. The gym always looks the same.
You can meet funny creatures: Who do you want to be surrounded with? Friendly passers by, frolicking dogs and possibly little curious wild creatures? Or bulky testosterone driven show offs and superficial bimbos? I don’t know about you, but the answer is pretty clear to me!
Oxygen Happiness: Breathing fresh air opposed to the recycled kind can create a feeling of euphoria, which comes from the body’s release of feel-good endorphins. Exercising outside also creates greater feelings of revitalization, energy, and positive thinking than does working out indoors.
Exploring: There are higher chances of you discovering something new if you take a spontaneous trip outside. Maybe there’s a secret path leading to the forest nearby. Maybe there’s a hidden oasis just a couple of streets from your house. Change your routine, experiment with a track you’ve never discovered. It’s also the perfect thing to do if you’re in a creative rut: changing up your routine titillates your brain and can bring new ideas.
Combat Boredom: You’ll be surprised at how much faster time travels when you aren’t at the gym. Who knows, maybe you’ll want to get lost in a path and never want to come back!
Anytime: The outdoors is always ready to go. No class schedules, no waiting in line for the elliptical machine, and no need to dig out your exercise bands from the closet. You can fit fitness in whenever you have a chance.
Connection: Get back to the roots. Loseness to nature increases our well-being—it has an immunizing effect by protecting us from future stresses and helping us concentrate and think more clearly. Cultivate your inner “friluftsliv“.
Credits: photos by David Mourato, lettering by Linda Dieschbourg.