Increase Your Calorie Burn With Outdoor Exercise

Getting out of the house to exercise isn’t always easy, especially during the winter months, when it is necessary to bundle up and trudge through the snow and wind to take a walk or to get to a gym. On the other hand, during the warm summer months, there are plenty of opportunities to get outside to get some exercise, increase your calorie burn, and meet your weight loss goals. When the weather is pleasant, outdoor exercise may be the key to staying on track with completing regular physical activity. 

Why outdoor exercise?

Some people don’t mind walking on a treadmill, working out inside a gym, or using cardio machines like the elliptical, but if you are someone who has a difficult time finding the motivation to exercise, an outdoor workout may be a better option for you. In fact, research has found that outdoor exercise might be more pleasurable than working out indoors. For example, a study in the Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology found that when women walked outdoors, they found it to be easier and more enjoyable when compared to walking on a treadmill. When walking outdoors, women were also more likely to state that they intended to walk again in the future. Getting outside for exercise can help you to stay committed to your fitness and weight loss goals.

Exercises to do Outside

While the study above used walking as an intervention, this is certainly not the only option for outdoor exercise. While you can burn calories walking outdoors at a local park or trail, or even through your neighborhood, you might also find that you enjoy hiking at an area nature preserve, or checking out local bike paths to enjoy outdoor exercise. Some locations may even offer outdoor fitness classes, such as yoga or aerobics, so you can work up a sweat while taking in the natural scenery. 

Walking and biking may be the most common forms of outdoor exercise, but you might consider kicking up the intensity and taking up outdoor running to boost your calorie burn. A study in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that walking a mile burned about 88 calories on average, whereas running a mile burned closer to 110 calories. Given that running a mile takes less time than walking a mile, you can burn calories much more quickly with running. 

How FitnessBet Can Help

If you need additional motivation to get outside and get some exercise, FitnessBet can help. FitnessBet is a downloadable app that syncs with tracking devices like Apple Health and FitBit to track your calorie burn. The app will give you a calorie burn goal, and you’ll have the opportunity to compete against others in week-long games to meet your goal. To play a public game, you must bet an amount between $10 and $30, and if you meet your calorie burn goal every day for a week, you will win a portion of the pot, which will be split between you and other winners. This app provides the extra boost you need to get out and get moving, and it can even help you to create new social connections as you aspire to become the best version of yourself.

Sources:

1. https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/jsep/39/2/article-p145.xml?rskey=6OJASl&result=220&print
2. https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Fulltext/2012/04000/Energy_Expenditure_Comparison_Between_Walking_and.22.aspx