Is the rowing machine at the gym as good as being on the river? Which provides the best soundtrack to a workout, an iPod or the natural world?
I like being physically active because it offers an escape from the stresses of my day. But for me, where I work out is as important as how. I’d take trail running over a treadmill in a crowded gym anytime.
An article on OdeWire called “Take a Hike!” by Jonathan Maas, recently got me thinking about this. The overarching idea is that our “love of green is part of our genetic wiring” and something we should nurture rather than ignore.
Being in touch with nature improves our mental functioning: “We’re talking about something that poets and painters knew intuitively 1,000 years ago and that science is just now proving. For a better memory and sharper attention, the best thing you can do is take a walk in the woods.”
The focus is on cognitive function (like problem-solving or performance in school) and the outdoor activities mentioned include gardening and even “just having a view of greenery.” I immediately recognized benefits like improved concentration and reduced stress as also being psychological benefits of exercise. My preference for outdoor activities began to make more sense. If simply being in a natural setting can improve your state of mind, it’s no wonder that I take the greatest pleasure in hiking, canoeing, or running through the woods.
Unfortunately, many of us don’t have instant access to the “real outdoors” whenever we want, or we enjoy activities that don’t lend themselves to being outside. We join a gym, take classes at a yoga or fitness studio, run through city streets. Our bodies and minds benefit from any kind of active lifestyle, but it’s often a matter of doing the best we can with what we have and where we are. I love being in a city most of the time and enjoy the sights and sounds, but I like to use exercise as an escape from these constant stimuli, if I can.
What fuels your active lifestyle? Do you prefer retreating to the great outdoors, or are you pumped up by a good workout at the gym?
Post written by: Rebecca Dobrzynski