5 Ways to Get Fit Outdoors

Dave Reid Climbing in Cali

You've been indoors most of the winter, with just the treadmill for company. And then you hear it...THE CALL OF THE OUTDOORS – WOOOOOOOOOEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
You best bet is to attend to that call. Great temperatures and your surroundings can not only motivate you to exercise, but help you enjoy it more, experts say.

"And if you love doing an activity, you're more apt to do it regularly," says Robyn Stuhr, exercise physiologist and director of the Women's Sports Medicine Center at New York's Hospital for Special Surgery.

But what should you do once you get outdoors? Fitness experts who spoke to WebMD gave their picks for some of the best (and most enjoyable) fitness activities out there: climbing hiking, biking, swimming, and jogging

These are the 5 great ways to get fit outdoors

1. Rock Climbing
When you consider the benefits of rock climbing, you usually think first of the physical benefits. Although rock climbing is practiced by both genders and almost all ages, it is a sport that requires a great deal of physical strength. An important benefit of rock climbing is what it does for your personal self confidence. Dave Reid, pictured above, mentions that the sense of accomplishment and the exhilaration that comes at the end of a successful climb is tremendous

2. Hiking
Hiking uses a lot of up-and-down movement, so you get a tremendous leg work out along with the cardiovascular benefits. Hiking provides a relaxing atmosphere for a workout that doesn't seem like a workout at all. . Listening to the birds and a babbling brook, and enjoying the cool breeze of the forest, provides a break

3. Biking
Not only is bicycling an excellent cardiovascular exercise, but you can really explore your community by cycling to different neighborhoods or in parks, bike paths, or trails. Many people cycle to commute to work. Biking is fun, can be used as transportation, and works different muscles than walking or running.

4. Swimming
Swimming is a wonderful cardiovascular conditioner that also helps tones arms and legs, and it's very easy on the joints, says Stuhr. Swimming will increase your stamina, can help ward off diabetes and high blood pressure, and relieves stress, Stuhr tells WebMD.

5. Jogging/Running
Jogging is terrific for your heart and lungs, and it improves your stamina. If you're trying to lose weight, it can burn calories more quickly than walking. Running is also an excellent cardiovascular exercise. A 150-pound woman can burn 306 calories running for 30 minutes at 5 mph (a 12-minute mile).

Make note to add one, two or all of these outdoor activities to your exercise regimin and you will notice results in no time.

Have a great time outside.

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Excerpts from WebMD

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