Come rain or shine, outdoor workouts are the way forwards

Not ready to get back in the gym? From boosting your mood to helping you keep your distance, fresh-air exercise has all kinds of benefits.

The pandemic might have changed our exercise habits for good.

Outdoor workout classes have grown rapidly since gyms reopened and are now being “creatively weatherproofed” by gyms and trainers, according to the website Health Club Management, the bible of the British fitness industry.

It seems more of us are warming to the idea.

A survey by ClassPass, a fitness membership program that provides access to top studios, found that more than 70 per cent of respondents now preferred an outdoor workout over an indoor class. There are advantages to sticking with the great outdoors, even when the weather takes a turn for the worse. Here’s why it’s worth getting outdoors – and how to do it:

It’s easier to keep your distance

“There is nowhere better ventilated than the great outdoors,” says Dr Simon Clarke, an associate professor in cellular microbiology at the University of Reading. “And there are fewer surfaces to contaminate, fewer things to touch.”

Even so, it pays to be extra-cautious when running or cycling.

“I’d recommend maintaining at least a distance of five metres when running behind someone and an even greater distance if you are cycling behind someone outside,” says Dr Julian Tang, honorary associate professor in the department of respiratory sciences at the University of Leicester.

“Any runner or cyclist breathes out and their exhaled air is tunnelled into a slipstream that you will breathe in if you are in their wake.”

Spending just 20 minutes in a park can boost your mood.

It will boost your mood

Spending just 20 minutes in a park – even if you don’t exercise – is enough to spark a change in mood, according to a study at the University of Alabama published this year. But Paul Hough, a senior lecturer in health and exercise science at St Mary’s University, says that “in a number of studies people have reported greater improvements in mental wellbeing immediately following outdoor exercise compared to indoor” and psychologists at Stanford University found that heading to tree-lined paths, parks and greenery can change blood flow patterns to the brain and help to prevent us chewing things over to the point that our mood plummets.

You will challenge muscles (and burn more calories)

Your body knows what to expect when running or walking on a treadmill, less so outdoors. And that unpredictability brings its own rewards. For a study at the University of Michigan, scientists compared the effects of walking and running on uneven or smooth terrain. Not only did the uneven ground result in greater thigh muscle activity, but the participants used on average 5 per cent more calories when running or walking on the non-smooth ground.

The change in season might mean it’s time to purchase some new gear. Picture: istock

“Wind and the elements provide a natural resistance that the body must work against,” says John Brewer, professor of sport and exercise science at the University of Suffolk. “And changes in terrain from mud and grass to hills, will mean you work a greater range of muscle groups, including those in your core and around the ankles to keep you upright.” Brewer says an outdoor workout might seem easier in autumn than in summer. “Studies show that people perceive exercise in warm weather to be harder.”

The right kit will make it easier

Autumn outdoor workouts will require an overhaul in footwear. Look for a pair of trail shoes with plenty of grip and support that will help to prevent slipping and sliding when it’s wet, even if you are mostly standing still to lift weights. The Brooks Catamount ($279) or Saucony Peregrine 10 ($229) are grippy, good-looking options, but a real revelation to me has been the On Cloudflyer Waterproof, not cheap at $280, but I have yet to get soggy feet.

The Times