The real reasons I go outside everyday, no matter the weather…
The days are getting shorter. It’s starting to get cold. We are living during extremely challenging times. The heaviness, anxiety, and trauma of the world at large and in our personal lives are very real. If you are feeling kinda crummy, that’s not surprising, and if you are finding it hard to stay active, motivated, and unstressed, you are certainly not alone (though you may feel alone). While it may sound simplistic and maybe even counter-intuitive, one of the best ways to feel a little better, even as it gets cold and dark, is to simply: Go outside.
If you know me, you know that this is my bias. My brand. My mantra. GO OUTSIDE. No matter what. (except for the rare case of poor air quality or other truly dangerous weather events when it is literally unsafe to go outside.) But what you may not know is WHY I go outside every day. What you may not know (unless you live with me), is that I am not particularly hardy or tough. You may think that I have a high tolerance for discomfort or roughing it. I don’t. In fact, I have always resonated with the story of the Princess and the Pea, (or for you musical theater fans, Once Upon a Mattress), in which a tiny pea under a huge stack of mattresses was enough to cause a girl intense discomfort and interrupted sleep (proving, I guess, that she is an actual princess.) In my case, the proverbial “pea” is any temperature fluctuation more than 5 degrees above or below 70 degrees, or rain at any intensity greater than a drizzle. I don’t like being cold. Or hot. I don’t like it when my feet are wet or my nose is cold, or when I can’t sit down for a long time. (e.g. crowded subway cars, standing room only concerts, high holiday services at synagogue.) I have a pain threshold lower than you’d expect. (Did you go through childbirth without drugs? I could not fathom that). I’m telling you this, so that when I say, “I will go outside and work out in ANY weather,” I want you to know that it is NOT because I am any stronger or tougher or grittier than you. I’m not! But here is why I DO go outside every day:
It calms me down. I am a worrier, a catastrophizer, and when I’m inside, a doom scroller. Research has shown that even just 20 minutes of being outside in nature can decrease your heart rate, blood pressure, and cortisol levels. In other words, being outside can lower your stress levels and help you feel more calm.
Distraction, Distance, Perspective: Being outside literally gives me distance from whatever is weighing me down - big or small. Being in a wide open space – with a vast sky above me, rather than a ceiling and walls that can feel claustrophobic – can help me let go, open my mind, and put things into perspective.
I feel more alive: Sounds cheesy, I know, but there is something life affirming about engaging in all five senses outside, breathing fresh air, touching the grass, connecting with the seasons, hearing the sounds of birds, dogs, t-ball games. You just feel more of everything that’s around you.
Productivity and Creativity: Some people get their ideas when they’re in the shower. For me, it’s that bike ride or walk to the park, where I can set the phone aside and be alone with my thoughts. Some research shows that being in nature can stimulate your brain and increase cognitive function. Being out in fresh air can reduce mental fatigue and increase energy levels, helping you stay focused and alert.
It helps me sleep better. I have had my share of injuries, health issues, aches and pains, and I do not always eat as healthfully and mindfully as I would like to. But the one wellness habit that I’ve seemed to get a grip on (at least as of now), is sleep. I of course wake up in the middle of the night frequently as do many of my peri- and postmenopausal friends. But for the most part, I don’t have trouble falling asleep, and I get a decent amount most nights. I might just be lucky. But I like to believe that my decent sleep is at least in part due to the amount of time I spend outside, especially in the morning. Some research shows that spending time outdoors can improve your natural circadian rhythms and allow you to sleep more soundly at night. And getting enough sunlight will help keep up your energy levels throughout the day.
Makes my indoor time that much more enjoyable. Just because I like going outside doesn’t mean I don’t also love lying on the couch. I actually love lying on the couch, especially if it means hanging with my kids, bingeing an inappropriate tv show from the 1990’s, and eating cereal for dinner. But I find my indoor down time so much more enjoyable right after I’ve spent some time outside in the elements. This is not about “earning” my downtime or not deserving to relax unless I first put myself through some punishing workout in the freezing rain. It’s simply about enjoying the contrasts of life.
Despite knowing all the benefits of going outside, as it gets colder and darker, it can be particularly hard to motivate to get out the door. Here are some tips to help you keep enjoying the great outdoors, no matter the weather:
Invest in some good clothes. The Scandanavians are right - there is no bad weather if you dress right. Seriously, treat yourself to some good outdoor clothes so you can be comfortable moving in any weather. Check out my basic guidelines for dressing for winter workouts.
Create a ritual wherever you can. You are more likely to follow through with an action if you plan it. And you’re more likely to follow a plan when it becomes a ritual – an action imbued with meaning and intention, and ideally some joy, rather than just an obligation. So try to build something into your routine – maybe a 10-minute walk after dinner every night - maybe to get ice cream or to look at the stars, something small you can do regularly that you actually look forward to, and that can become part of your routine.
Phone a friend. Making a plan to walk or run with a friend will keep you accountable, make it more likely you’ll follow through with your plans, and of course give you the benefit of social connection and support. If you don’t have a friend in town to walk with, do the next best thing and take your phone call on the road.
Get a dog. With a dog, you’ll have no choice, but to get up & move your body every morning, and it can do wonders for your state of mind! I have suggested this before, with no plans whatsoever to do it myself. However, as my kids get older and I get a little sadder about how quiet my house is getting… who knows, I just might take my own advice soon..
Eliminate as much of the decision-making process as possible. Honestly, the biggest reason why it’s so easy for me to show up day after day to Run Club, HIIT, walk/run, etc. is…because I don’t have a choice! The deciding of whether to venture out each day can be exhausting. So my advice to you is to set yourself some parameters and rules regarding when you go out, and when you bail on your outdoor adventure or workout. Maybe you set yourself a temperature threshold: you’ll go outside if it’s above, say, 20 degrees F, or a rain intensity. (e.g. maybe drizzle and light rain is OK, but not if it’s more than .1 inch per hour of rain.) Or if you are sick or injured. By setting these parameters, then when it comes to the time you have planned to go out, go through your checklist – I’m not sick, I’m not injured, it’s above 20 degrees, it’s not raining – OK no choice. Just do it! And if it is really and truly too awful to go outside, you don’t have to hem and haw about it, you just skip it, you don’t feel badly about it, and you move on.
We run outdoor workouts ALL YEAR long. And we are doing a 21-day Go Outside Challenge. All you have to do is commit to going outside and moving your body (walking counts!) for at least 21 minutes every day for 21 days. By joining the challenge, you’ll get tips for getting through the shortened, cold dark December days, you’ll get access to all of MoveRunPlay workouts, and you’ll be automatically entered into a raffle to win a spa day (An indoor spa, not outdoor!) Check out more info HERE.
