6 Mental & Physical Heath Benefits Of Outdoor Workouts

Camp Gladiator
Oct 28
3 min read

What's better than getting your sweat on and beating your personal record? Doing it outdoors! Don't get us wrong. Getting off the couch and getting SOME movement every day is a win by itself. However, exercising outdoors can make you feel more energized, more motivated, and happier - and that's a win we all strive for.

Are you curious about exactly how you can benefit from outdoor exercises? Then take a look at six reasons why you should do an outdoor workout today.

1. Outdoor Exercise Improves Your Overall Well-Being

We're wired to coexist with nature. Studies have shown that spending at least 120 minutes per week in nature supports good health and well-being. The natural environment increases dopamine and serotonin, which gives you better clarity. So no matter what kind of exercise you have planned for today - whether you take a walk or do a Camp workout outside - it will increase your overall sense of well-being.

2. Exercising Outside Works As A Natural Antidepressant

Moving your workout outdoors will provide you with an exceptional amount of fresh air and sunshine. According to the National Institutes of Health, exposure to sunlight enhances the body’s vitamin D production. Additional studies have shown that vitamin D plays an essential role in regulating mood swings and preventing depression.

Research also shows that humans' brains have higher serotonin levels on sunny days. Serotonin, the body’s natural mood stabilizer, helps reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety. That means that your workout itself not only improves your mood by increasing your endorphin level, but the exposure to the sun will also lift your spirits.

3. Physical Outdoor Activities Can Help With Insomnia.

Outdoor exercise influences sleep in more ways than one. The main reason for this is fresh air. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, indoor air can be more polluted than outdoor air – especially if you live in large cities or metropolitan areas. Inhaling fresh air cleans your lungs from many airborne toxins and helps you sleep better. Fresh air combined with regular exercise and regulated breathing enables you to fall asleep quickly and improves your sleep quality.

4. Outdoor Exercise Lowers Blood Pressure And Reduces Stress

Research has shown that outdoor workouts can lower blood pressure and heart rate levels, making your outdoor exercise feel less strenuous. This also helps you push closer to your maximum performance and reach your fitness goals faster. Already envisioning your next personal record in the near future?

5. Outdoor Exercise Challenges Your Body

According to the American Council on Exercise, outdoor environments constantly challenge your mind and body. To keep your activity at a consistent pace, your body needs to adapt to the changing surroundings, such as inclines from hills, which makes your body and mind work harder compared to similar moves performed indoors, based on research from Environmental Science and Technology.

6. Outside Activities Allow You To Exercise Longer and Harder

Workouts in nature, surrounded by grass or trees, can distract you from your efforts and push you harder, resulting in new personal records and more burned calories. A review of outdoor activity studies concluded that being active in fresh air reduces perceived effort and allows individuals to work at higher workloads, ultimately increasing their amount of physical activity and motivation.

The Bottom Line

Our Camp workouts started outdoors, so we believe exercising outdoors is the best way to break a sweat! Whether you’re walking outside, exercising with our live-streaming or On-Demand library in your garage or backyard, or you're in-person at one of your local Camp workouts, we believe exercise is better when we're together.