So you have worked really hard the past few days and its time to change it up a bit. If you own a stationary bike or treadmill hop on, put your favourite Netflix show on and get going for a minimum of 45 minutes.
Using indoor equipment has its benefits. You are in your home and will not come in contact with others and you can exercise any day in any weather.
Don’t have a stationary bike or treadmill? No problem, head outside in your neighbourhood and walk run or bike. (keeping your social distance of course)
One of the biggest benefits you get from exercising outdoors is you actually get a harder workout. Your body is experiencing a constantly changing environment. To keep up the activity at a consistent pace, your body needs to adapt to all those changes (even minimal ones) in your surroundings like slight inclines, bumps, or obstacles. This means your body works harder than if you were running on a treadmill.
Biomechanical patterns don’t change when someone runs on a treadmill versus when they run outside. When you run outside you’re doing the work yourself and you’re not limited by the parameters of the treadmill.
You’re also going to activate more muscles when you’re running outside because you don’t have to run in a straight line. If you’re only running inside, certain muscles could become weak for the lack of use and others overworked from running in the same predictable pattern.
Outdoor exercise is also the best way to get your free dose vitamin D through sunlight!
Currently, in this time of constant changes and restrictions, you should keep your social distancing to at least 6 feet between others. One way to guarantee minimal contact is going out to exercise early in the morning or later at night.
As the warmer weather arrives make sure you protect your skin with sunscreen and avoid running in extreme heat.
Enjoy this little break! See you tomorrow for a great upper body weight workout!
