In his book Last Child In The Woods, Richard Louv coins the phrase nature deficit disorder to describe how more and more of us are spending the majority of our lives indoors, tethered to digital devices and alienated from the natural world around us.
Not only does a sedentary lifestyle breed poor fitness but evidence suggests a largely indoor existence also has negative implications for our mood, health and wellbeing. Our body simply doesn’t do well when starved of sunlight, trees, plants and the therapeutic sounds of nature.
One way to combat this problem… outdoor exercise.
Walking
By far the easiest way to ramp up your activity levels and increase your outdoor exposure is to spend more time walking. No equipment needed, just you and the ground underneath your feet. Slow walks, quick walks, morning walks, evening walks, short walks, long walks, hill walks, relaxing walks, dog walks. social walks, meditative walks… all will boost your energy, health and wellbeing. As Hippocrates once said “walking is man’s best medicine.”
Calisthenics
Think you need heavy weights and expensive equipment to train your muscles and build strength? Think again. Using simple calisthenics like push ups, pull ups, squats, lunges, planks and more you can strengthen your entire body with minimal equipment in your local park, garden or backyard.
Sprinting
As a full body activity for improving your strength, fitness and physique few things can compete with sprinting. Another great thing about this type of exercise… it’s a great excuse to head outdoors. One of my favorite routines involves walking to a nearby hill, performing a series of sprint repeats then walking home. Complete fitness with a healthy dose of nature along the way!
Walking, calisthenics and sprinting. All great forms of outdoor exercise which happen to be free and easy for anyone to do but they are certainly not the only options. Whatever challenges your muscles, whatever gets you outside, whatever makes you feel good.
Find it, run with it and restore the outdoor balance your body craves.