#SunsOutGunsOut – Using The Great Outdoors To Stimulate Your Warrior Spirit
The team at Project Spartan doesn’t only love Summer as an excuse to whip our shirts off in warm weather, but we also enjoy the process of connecting with nature through outdoor exercise.
From the coast to the Downs, Worthing is absolutely dripping in natural beauty, and it comes to life fully during these long-awaited Summer months. Exercising in nature is a fun route to fitness – and a fun fitness approach is one that will make your workout routine fun and easily sustainable.
We look at the benefits of outdoor training.
Whether it is getting out into the fresh air or just a change of scenery and being away from your devices (to all those who are still working from home), outdoor exercise can bring a whole new dimension to your regime. As the seasons change and the mornings are warmer, being outdoors can really give you the boost you require, says James, the manager and a coach at Project Spartan.
The benefits of outdoor exercise
Being outdoors isn’t a replacement for motivation, courage, and drive when it comes to supporting your fitness plan – but it can sure help.
Here are the science-backed benefits of outdoor exercise.
It can improve your motivation around fitness.
We love the gym environment – it’s our second home – but switching it up to a breezy, social outdoor session with your mates (or alone with nature) can be an amazing motivator, and science supports this.
Studies have found that exercising outdoors can boost your motivation around exercise and have you excited about doing more, alongside being great for your mental health.
Exercising outdoors gives you a refreshing change of environment, making it more interesting and enjoyable. And combining outdoor activity with a gym routine gives you the exploration of nature alongside a more controlled programme.
Exercise feels easier when it’s outside.
Given that human beings – when you remove the trappings and comforts of modern life – are a hunter/gatherer species by nature, used to roaming large outdoor spaces in pursuit of food, the outdoors is a natural place for us to move.
In a 2013 study, participants reported feeling less exertion and the motivation to partake in higher intensity activities when doing so outside.
As such, we work harder when we’re exercising outdoors without feeling as tired, helping us get more from training. And while a full workout on the beach is Spartan’s cup of tea, playing with your dog in the gardening, yanking out some weeds, or cycling around the park will get you a hearty fix of green exercise.
It’s great for your brain.
Getting outdoors is rejuvenating for mental health, as is exercise. It follows that combining the two can yield powerful results for how you feel – another vital element of building an exercise plan.
Being out in the sun lets your body generate vitamin D, which helps protect some people from the effects of seasonal depression. Time outside can also help you feel relaxed and focused, whether on a slow stroll or engaging in more intense activity.
Plus, it gets you away from the screens, beeps, and boops of modern life and the overstimulation that can accompany them.
Rougher terrain mixes up your workout.
Running indoors on a treadmill could mean that you’re missing out on the natural turns and inclines that make outdoor running a boon for your muscles. Some studies found that you use more muscles without a treadmill propelling you forward (although others found no difference).
Plus, every time you pick a different route or location to switch up the difficulty, you’re picking a different part of nature to explore. That can constantly keep you motivated and curious, helping you stick to your fitness plan.
Why you don’t need a “beach bod”
Western beauty standards have us believing that a “beach bod” is the way to motivate yourself to do better for your body during the summertime. And while we fully get behind any health or fitness goal people have for themselves, the idea of a “beach bod” is one that:
- Implies you can’t be healthy without looking like you’re on the cast of Baywatch.
- Robs you of the drive to do better for your body, mind, and movement year-round.
- Focuses you on the “bod” rather than developing a sustainable, fun mindset and routine that fits your life.
Instead of feeling the need to define yourself by a “beach bod” this summer, embrace the great weather and exercise outside (and inside) to maintain your momentum and well-beinf for the rest of the year.
How can Project Spartan support your summer fitness plan in Worthing?
Project Spartan is a supportive and ego-free fitness training centre in Worthing, and we provide:
- Indoor training that favours social interaction and mechanical resistance stations over screens and machines, bringing the benefits of outdoor exercise indoors. No egos, no excuses, just results.
- Group Bank Holiday sessions in Worthing’s parks and on its beaches.
- Organised drives towards outdoor runs, assault courses, and Spartan 10Ks.
- Comprehensive digital nutrition tracking and body imaging to monitor the progress of both your indoor and outdoor workouts.
Get in touch today about our programs and membership tiers that can fit any budget.
