HEALTH AND FITNESS

Where you exercise matters – exercise outdoors, especially in nature, can be particularly beneficial.

Research has uncovered additional benefits of simply going for a walk outdoors in nature as well possible explanations as to why. These studies show that participants who went for a walk in a quiet, tree-lined area experienced greater improvement in mood – they felt happier – than those who walked along a busy street in an urban area. The researchers also completed brain scans to determine that the difference in mood was related to changes in blood flow in the brain. The finding that being active in a natural environment caused physiological changes that led to psychological benefits is exciting!

Another advantage of exercising outdoors is that you might get a better workout. This is mostly due to the fact that you will likely walk or run faster outdoors, but other factors like varied terrain, hills and wind resistance add to your effort. Research shows that even though people tend to exercise at a higher intensity outside, they don't necessarily feel it. In fact, ratings of effort are lower outdoors for the same exercise.

This is partly because the pleasant visual stimuli outdoors distracts you from unpleasant sensations of effort during exercise. This is the same reason that listening to music makes exercise more enjoyable and why fitness centers have televisions on the walls or built into exercise equipment. Think of the outdoors as a really big TV screen!

There are a great many places to walk, run, bike, or paddle outdoors in the Aiken area. With cooler weather on the way, this time of year is perfect for outdoor activity and there are many local events to motivate you to explore the great outdoors. Every little bit of activity you do outdoors will have both physical and psychological benefits to help you become and feel healthier. So, get outside and get active!

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