Exercise Outdoors This Summer

Summer has finally checked in. Children are enjoying the tempo and freedom of vacation. Our parks, aquatic center, recreation center, and summer camps are bustling with activity. And a burst of diverse, community organized entertainment is on the calendar for our enjoyment as well. Our community is teeming with opportunities to stay active!

Exercise is one of those rare things where the hype actually meets reality. Getting regular physical activity is arguably the most wonderful thing you can do for your health. And you do not need to go from the couch to a 5K tomorrow to immediately gain benefits! Summer weather graciously provides us with so many opportunities to get moving, and while our community offers a slew of indoor recreation classes and activities, taking advantage of outdoor activities scores a major plus on the benefit scale. A “breath of fresh air” might just be an expression, but the advantages of outdoor activity are in fact very real.

Exercise science research strongly suggests that there are benefits to exercising outdoors that can’t be replicated indoors. When comparing a 30 minute moderate walk on a treadmill versus through the neighborhood (same rate/duration), walking outdoors actually provides a more strenuous workout (even though most people don’t “feel” like they are “working-out”). Why? Environmental factors encountered outside cause the body to recruit more muscles, such as stabilizers and, even more importantly, the core of the body (the stronger the core, the more capable we are of full-body functional movement).

Also, the greater the muscle recruitment, the greater the calorie expenditure. That’s a major plus! Imagine our neighborhood landscape. The slopes of sidewalks, dips, streets on an incline or decline challenge balance. Steps, slight hills, or curbs develop stability and strengthen the lower body (primarily the metabolic power house: your derrière). Let’s move ourselves from the sofa to the sidewalk! Instead of packing up the family or friends in the car, take a nice bike ride or walk from point A to point B. Say…start at home and head to Central Park to enjoy a Thursday night concert, or to pay a visit to the Farmer’s Market on a Sunday?

In a recent study, two groups of participants were either assigned to walk outside or indoors for 30 minutes. In post-psychological testing, those that walked outside scored significantly higher in vitality, enthusiasm, pleasure and self-esteem, and lower on tension, depression and fatigue. In a different study, people that exerted themselves outside had subsequently lower levels of cortisol, a powerful stress hormone that delivers a punch stronger that Ali’s. We need our cortisol levels to be in balance. On the inside? High levels of this stress hormone are responsible for more than 80 debilitating diseases (American Medical Association) including Cushing’s syndrome. On the outside? Those with high cortisol levels often display excess pounds around the middle of their bodies; this is cortisol’s favorite place to “hang out.” Be gone! Who needs more stress, really?

Take advantage of the season and the opportunities to be vibrant and actively living alongside family, friends and neighbors! The total sum of these things equals one thing: pleasure! Happy summer to all!

Angela Ponzio is a certified NESTA LWM (Lifestyle and Weight Management Specialist), a food and healthy eating blogger, licensed Personal Trainer, and Group Fitness Instructor. Graduating with honors from Loyola University Chicago (English/Anthropology), she bee-lined into her vocation as an educator when she began working as 2nd grade Bilingual Elementary School teacher. A professional dancer and choreographer since age 16, she has traveled the world as a performer and directed her own Chicago-based dance company as well. She instructs fitness classes in Elmwood Park, where she lives with her husband and her two children, the treasures of her life.!!