While some of us are perfectly happy just plugging in their MP3 player and hopping on a treadmill every day, many of us need more motivation to get moving.  Even if you start out with a treadmill or other exercise machine or use it when the weather is bad, you may find yourself lacking motivation at some point.  Outdoor workouts can make the idea of physical fitness much more inviting, especially if you find that you’re having trouble staying motivated otherwise.

Working on physical fitness outdoors gives you the advantage of fresh air, being out in your community, connecting with nature, and being able to do exercises that just can’t be replicated inside the house.  Things like biking, swimming, and running simply cannot be perfectly simulated on a machine, and while treadmills and elliptical machines are great for people in harsh climates, they just can’t match nature’s ability to provide challenge.

The advantage of outdoor physical fitness is that you can take advantage of the changing terrain available in nature that is not programmable on your treadmill.  You also have more variability, which keeps your body working at its hardest.  On a treadmill, you can only keep moving forward; outside you can try running laterally or run backwards, forcing your muscles to work in different ways.

Outdoor physical fitness is a great way to increase your mental fitness as well, since you literally have to walk away from everything waiting for you – email, work, demands of home and family.  It can really become YOUR time.  My suggestion?  Leave the cell phone at home, or at least turned off, while you are exercising.  Really make it a break from the routine of things.

Stop at a playground.  Those monkey bars aren’t just for kids to climb on.  Do some pull ups, stretch your muscles, and laugh and have fun.  It’s much more likely that you will burn more calories, exercise longer, and enjoy it more if you are interested in your surroundings and the exercise doesn’t just become the same old thing every day.

Outdoor physical fitness is simple.  It’s always there, even if you are traveling and often away from home.  Exercising outdoors doesn’t require anything more than a good pair of shoes  and some moisture-wicking exercise clothes.  There are no special pieces of equipment you have to buy, so you can start exercising even if you don’t have a budget for it – just walk out the front door and hit the ground running.