Summer, my favorite season of the year, is here and I am delighted to share with you a post unlike others about my passion for running outdoors. I am not an athlete but as I believe precaution is always better than cure, I have made running an important part of my lifestyle. In this post, I will be listing ten reasons why I love running outdoors and hopefully I can inspire you to start adopting a new habit so that you can also lead a healthy lifestyle.
- Growing up in North America means to spend most time indoors due to the cold seasons and the bad weather conditions that may happen in spring and summer. Furthermore, the way the school system and the corporate world work in buildings mean more time indoors. That leaves me with very little time to be spent outdoors so I have chosen to invest a part of that time in running outdoors. Afterall, life is not meant to be spent indoors all the time.
- Exposure to the sun allows our body to meet some of its needs for the vitamin D. Thus, when the sun is out, there is simply no excuse to not go for a run as being under the sun has some interesting health benefits. Sunlight deficiency can be bad for health and for those interested in more details, I definitely recommend the following articles:
a) https://www.sunsprite.com/blog/9-ways-a-lack-of-sun-is-killing-you/
b) http://www.lifeadvancer.com/sunlight-deficiency-deadly-smokingHowever, it's important to apply sunscreen before going out to run under the sun as sunscreen helps to protect our skin against sunburn and from ultraviolet radiations (UVA and UVB rays) that can cause skin cancer. - Being in a green area allows to connect with nature and that is a privilege. For those for whom nature is important, being in a green environment can significantly increase the level of their happiness.
- Running is an excellent type of cardio exercising. While the treadmill might be doing a part of your job, running requires 100% of your effort. Frankly speaking, fifteen minutes on a treadmill/cardio machine will not even make me feel as exhausted as fifteen minutes of running outdoors. Try it to believe me.
- Running increases energy and decreases tension, anger and all sort of negative emotions. Some days, I happen to wake up with a bad attitude. Then, I decide to go for a morning run and later on, I don't even realize it but my bad attitude disappears and I am full of positive energy for the rest of the day. Basically, running helps to reset and recharge batteries.
- Running outdoors allows to breathe fresh air which is vital for the human body. Fresh air is much better than air-conditioned air found in the gym or any indoor places.
- Running is a solo activity meaning that you are your only competitor. You can set challenges for yourself based on your performance and you can go at your pace.
- Running helps to sleep better. For people who can not stop thinking, running definitely helps to shut the brain and get the required 7-8 hours of sleep everyday.
- Running helps to concentrate better and to develop creativity just like any physical activity. As you engage yourself in a physical activity, you will learn to focus on that activity and that will definitely help you focus on other aspects of your life and this is how you learn to achieve other goals in life you set for yourself.
- Running for great causes can help to raise charity funds. Since there are no gym membership fees associated with running, signing up for races happening in your hometown city (or even another city) is an excellent way to set a running challenge for yourself and to contribute to great causes.
To conclude, I hope the above reasons have inspired you to acknowledge that engaging in a regular physical activity has various advantages for ourselves. I hope that you are able to find your most preferred physical activity and that you make it a part of your daily life and hopefully you start noticing the quality of your life improving. Committing to regular physical activity can also help to prevent diseases. I believe precaution is always better than cure, so don't risk your health. It's always hard to start but don't underestimate the power of your small efforts. Every step matters and remember that no one ever regrets getting physically active.
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