Shore Fit
By Bonnie Dodd-Miller
March 20th marks the first day of spring when flower buds bloom and people start getting outside and being active. You see people walking, running, biking, and skateboarding. It feels good after being stuck inside.
Backyard classes and beach workouts became very popular during the pandemic and continue to thrive. It’s definitely a new way of exercising for some. With gyms being open, but masks required, some prefer the outside route. I believe it will continue in its popularity for the long haul. Some may even ditch the gym forever. It’s those natural movements that we do outside like sprinting, jumping, throwing, pulling, and pushing, that make us feel connected to nature while getting naturally fit. These are compound movements because they work a bunch of muscles at once. They help us build more well-balanced bodies. Most gym machines and exercises don’t do that.
Outdoor workouts also improve our coordination and require a wider range of motion, which keeps us flexible and mobile. Compound exercises engage and give us stronger cores than ever because these exercises work our abs at the same time as they work our other muscles.
Have you ever tried using playground equipment as part of your workout? Ladders and monkey bars are great tools to use as equipment for a challenging workout. Hanging on bars, climbing or doing knee-ups, push-ups, bear crawls and crab crawls will help you achieve your fitness goals.
These natural movements will make us more resistant to injury by increasing our mobility and balance. That’s fantastic because balance becomes a big issue as we age.
Another important factor to take in account is the mental side to this. Being outside just makes you feel good. A lot of us spend most of our days cooped-up, staring at computers, so the opportunity to get out and get some fresh air is very appealing. We also get Vitamin D naturally from working out in the sunshine. That’s a win win in my book!
We also use our minds when creating our workouts. The Brain is another muscle put to good use. The basic outdoor workout exercises like pull-ups, push-ups, and sprints get boring fast. A bored body doesn’t get fit. You have to get those creative juices flowing. I love planning and preparing my outdoor workouts for my friends and family.
Exercising outside is good for our soul and it has been found to reduce stress, mental fatigue, improve our moods, and even make us work harder without feeling like we’re exerting ourselves much.
One disadvantage to working-out outside is the weather. I run into this problem as well with my backyard workouts. If it rains, we have to head inside. I am always checking the forecast. Most would agree that exposure to unpleasant cold, heat, wind, and/or rain is a big disadvantage of exercising outside versus at the gym. Sure, it can be unpleasant to exercise outside when the weather doesn’t cooperate but overcoming that discomfort brings big rewards you can’t get from the gym. We exercise in the heat but make the best of it with umbrellas and fan water misters in the summer. We make it work. Going to a gym can also feel intimidating for some. You feel like everyone’s watching you, judging you for your poor form, or mocking the light weights you’re lifting.
When you’re outside, there’s nobody else around to judge you. You also may be lucky enough to find an amazing group of people who will workout outside with you. As the warmer weather approaches, look for that biking or walking buddy or find that outside group class or simply do your own thing. I promise you, it will make you feel like a kid playing outside all over again.
Bonnie Miller is certified fitness instructor at the Ocean City Aquatic and Fitness Center and the JCC in Margate. She is a mom of three and resides Somers Point.
