It's a New Year, and lots of people head for the gym to get fit. But why spend out on gym membership when you can get fit for free? Get outside and use Nature's Outdoor Gym all year round.
Wherever you are, you can get outdoors and get some exercise to make you feel good. To keep your body ticking over at a healthy rate you need at least half an hour of exercise per day. Ideally this should be an hour, but with the hectic lifestyles that most of us lead with education and homework we don't make time. So, save the time taking a trip to the gym by starting right outside your own front door.
You don't have to go off on a frantic fitness regime. Do what you feel happy with, and work up to something a bit more demanding over time. Just walking for an hour a day is a good start, and you may achieve that just by walking to school and back!
10,000 Steps per day Challenge
If you want to see how far you walk, get yourself a pedometer. If you live in the US, you can get a free pedometer from the My Heart Now website.
In 2007, the UK Public Health Minister Caroline Flint launched the National School Pedometer Programme.Schools on the Move has been very successful, and most children said that it increased their interest in physical activity, and more than half said that they had become more active as a result. Once you get started, you will find that you want to keep going, or to improve. Don't compare yourself to others, challenge yourself.
Build Stronger Bones
Weight bearing exercise aids the building of strong and healthy bones. This can be done by walking, jogging, playing soccer or basketball. Running on grass and tracks are better for your joints as the softer ground (compared with concrete paths or tarmac) cushions each step. Always start slowly and gradually build up. Consult your doctor before commencing any exercise.
Strong bones are best built when you are young. Current research indicates that once you have reached 40, you are unlikely to be able to increase the strength of your bones. Calcium and exercise are key. To reduce the effects of weak bones, you need to ensure that they are strong whilst you are are teenager. You can read more in the article Teenagers and Bone Health – Calcium and Exercise are Key.
Gym With a View
One of the advantages of exercising outdoors is that the scenery changes. If you go for a walk or run, the scenery is constantly changing. In an indoor gym, you may get to stare at a TV screen or a wall. Exercising outdoors provides you with a reason to explore the community and world around you. There are plenty of parks and rights of way, even in the cities. All of the major cities around the world seem to have green urban spaces such as Central Park in New York, or Regents Park in London.
Natural England also promotes use of the outdoors as a gym. The organisation even points out that exercising outdoors doesn't leave a carbon footprint! There are plenty of opportunities to see wildlife when out and about. If you go for a bike ride, you may often find that as you are moving without making much noise you will see many more animals. You may see hedgehogs, foxes, rabbits, as well as squirrels and birds.
Not only does exercising outside expose you to a healthy dose of vitamin D, it also improves your concentration. This is most beneficial if you walk to school of college. Walking helps to keep your metabolism going or to increase it. This will then benefit you even when you are not exercising outdoors. You will find that going for a walk or run will improve your state of mind as well as your body. It can also improve your immune system for up to 24 hours after a walk.
If you live in the UK, the Walking the Way to Health website provides information on group walks in your community. There is a Walk Finder tool that will tell you where organised walks are in your area. The Ramblers Association also organises walks.
Trim Trails and Fitness Trails
You may be lucky enough to have a fitness trail in your area. A fitness trail is a purpose built set of obstacles for you to traverse. This may include chin-up bars, parallel bars, rope swings or even scramble nets. Sometimes there are 'up and under' logs that you have to go alternately over and then under. If you don't have a fitness trail, you can usually find somewhere that has similar strucutre. Trees are ideal. Find a tree with a nice strong branch at the height you need for doing chin-ups.
Free Running and Parkour
In urban areas, Free Running and Parkour has become widely used by young people as a personal challenge. Free Running is where you attempt to pass all obstacles in your path in a smooth and fluid way. Free runners use moves such as vaulting, jumping and various acrobatic movements to get from one place to another. Parkour differs from Free running in that you aim to get quickly from one place to another in the most efficient and effective way which could be used in case of escaping from a real threat or pursuers. Free running focuses more on self development. A great example of free running can be seen in the opening sequences of the James Bond film Casino Royale. Sebastien Foucan (the founder of Free Running) is chased across a construction site using free running to escape. Another example is in a rooftop chase in the film The Bourne Ultimatum.
Disclaimer - All extreme sports carry a significant risk of damage to property, personal injury or death. Participate at your own risk! You must seek advice and professional instruction before entering into the sport of free running or parkour. You should become knowledgeable about the risks involved and assume personal responsibility for your actions.
For further information on free running and parkour, visit the official worldwide parkour and free running network at Urban Free Flow. They have information on free running gyms, techniques, videos and more.
Save Money by Exercising Outdoors
So, get yourself outside and exercise in the open air. You can put the money you save by using Nature's Outdoor Gym towards the coolest trainers you can find, or a new bike. Increase your savings by walking or cycling instead of taking public transport.
Whatever type of outdoor exercise you choose to do, we hope that you keep at it all through the year.
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