Sky Lakes Medical Center | Live Smart | Spring 2019

6 LIVE smart | Spring 2019 Choose your own adventure Get resources for your quest to find more scenic outdoor exercise spots at SkyLakes.org/TrailMaps . The Geo Trail, on the hillside east of the Sky Lakes and Oregon Tech campuses, offers stunning views. Good for your body and soul For exercise, there may be nothing like the great outdoors Is the gym your usual go-to place for exercise? Then you may need a change of scenery, and one with lots of it: the great outdoors. If you need a nudge to move your exercise outside, there’s plenty of incentive. Research suggests that outdoor exercise delivers health benefits that can’t be duplicated indoors. And a key one is a bigger boost in positive emotions. One study, for example, found that outdoor workouts can lift your mood more and help you feel more energetic and revitalized than indoor ones. Another found that as few as five minutes of outdoor exercise can improve self-esteem, especially if you’re near greenery or water. Moving your workouts outdoors also lets you: Connect with nature. That’s one of the best perks of outdoor exercise. Think of it this way: Where are you likely to enjoy exercise more—on a treadmill in a gym or on the hiking and biking trails of Spence Mountain or Moore Park? Save money. You don’t need a gym membership. The outdoors belongs to all of us. Potentially burn more calories. When you’re hiking or jogging or biking outdoors, a strong headwind can help you burn more calories. You have to work harder to overcome the wind’s resistance. Get out and enjoy! So rather than staying cooped up inside, take a brisk walk—either alone to clear your mind or with a buddy to socialize. Work out your muscles on a local hill, bike on the OC&E Trail, or walk one block and jog the next in your neighborhood. You could also treat yourself to a walk in the woods or along the Link River Trail. Or try the exercise stations along the Fit Trail at Steen Sports Park. Or enjoy the hillsides from the Geo Trail, just east of the Oregon Tech and Sky Lakes campuses. You can turn exercise into family time too. Play on a playground with your children (or grandchildren) or take a nature hike together. After all, everybody deserves to have fun outdoors. Source: American Council on Exercise