The American Fitness Professionals & Associates organization touts outdoor exercise as an important part of your exercise routine. Participating in outdoor exercise can help you reconnect with the natural world, improve your fitness, integrate your mind and body, and rejuvenate your spirits. The diversity of outdoor activities, from trekking to mountain biking to canoeing, means that you're likely to find an activity that suits your aptitudes and interests. But participating in outdoor exercise often demands a level of preparation not required when you exercise indoors.
Food and Drink
Depending on the duration of your outdoor exercise bout, you should consider carrying food and drink with you in a waistbelt or backpack. Participating in short bouts of exercise in your own neighborhood is not likely to require much in the way of additional caloric intake, but carrying water with you for the purposes of hydration is always a good idea. Knowing the demands of your outdoor activity, the approximate duration of your activity and where your activity is taking place are all important factors in determining how much food and drink you should bring with you. Consider packing whole foods, such as nuts and fruits, instead of processed, sugar-laden energy bars. Flavored coconut water mixed with regular water is an effective replacement for conventional sports drinks, which often contain high fructose corn syrup and caffeine. If you're heading out on a long, multihour training session, consider bringing more food and drink with you than you think you'll need.
Clothing
Being mindful of your clothing--type, amount and composition--is an important part of outdoor exercise in cold and warm weather conditions. For outdoor exercise in winter, the Mayo Clinic suggests you wear layers, but not too many. It suggests that one of the biggest mistakes cold-weather exercisers make is to wear too many layers, which creates excess sweat. When your excess sweat evaporates, you can get chilled. Exercise generates enough heat to make you feel like it's 30 degrees F warmer than what it really is, so wear layers, but make sure they're removable. Quick-wicking fabrics, such as polypropylene, draw sweat away from your body and should be worn next to your skin as a base layer. Add a fleece layer for warmth and a waterproof shell for protection from the elements, as necessary. When you exercise outdoors in the summer, consider wearing light, breathable clothing that will allow your sweat to evaporate, and a visor or hat that will protect your face and ears from sun damage.
Awareness of Environmental Conditions
When you're exercising outdoors, it's important for you to be aware of your environmental conditions and to monitor your body's response to changing climactic conditions. Pay attention to the humidity, altitude, degree of sun exposure, UV index and temperature, and adjust your exercise behavior accordingly. Knowing how your body adjusts to climactic conditions, and being willing to alter your routine based on your physiological response, can help reduce your likelihood of experiencing thermal injuries, such as heatstroke or hypothermia, which can be fatal. If you're exercising outdoors in a large city, the Mayo Clinic suggests you avoid congested streets and time your workouts carefully so that you minimize your exposure to air pollution and your intake of particulate matter. Check local air pollution alerts, and avoid outdoor physical activity when pollution levels are highest, which typically is during the midday or afternoon. Consider staying at least 50 feet away from busy roads, where pollution levels are lower.
Member Comments