Is it better to go to the gym or exercise outdoors? | Get information

We’ve all seen people doing tai chi in their city parks, jogging on the beach or exercising in natural spaces. Although in our vital experience it seems to us at first sight that it takes the activity of the gym outward, the truth is that these forms of exercise were the natural thing to man until the physical activity was created, first in the gyms and then in the rooms fitness. Since the nineteenth century, these facilities have sought to reproduce what nature has to offer and what can be done in it. This is how trellis, Swedish frames, ropes, ladders, walls, paths, swimming pools, machines of all kinds, exercise bikes, or climbing walls came about. In short, the most stable and controlled venues that have evolved to align with the multiple current pedagogical currents in the field of physical exercise.

But nature has always been its great gymnasium, and its best center fitness Where man developed his physical competence and health, and where he satisfied his need for movement. All cultures have written and promoted it. Scandinavian gymnastics schools They promoted crossing open spaces indoors when doing sports. The naturalist Georg Hibbert also realized its importance while sailing around the world and watching how the inhabitants of the islands where he docked practiced. These observations led him to develop the method of exercise, which he named natural (1912).

For Hibbert it was necessary to return to the movements made in nature. with him natural way With its motto “Being strong to be useful”, it sought to control body, mind and spirit in a natural setting by developing physical qualities (endurance, strength or speed) and the ability to move efficiently by jumping, climbing or running. Balancing, overcoming obstacles, carrying weights, throwing, defending or developing in the aquatic environment.

The trend is back a century later, but this time inside an industrial warehouse. This is the situation crosstraining or crossfit, where you repeatedly jump over wooden boxes, turn huge tractor wheels or climb ropes that high school students hated in their PE classes. Due to the make-up of large cities and working hours, exposure time to green and blue spaces has been reduced nowadays, limiting physical exercise to specific time intervals, and generally indoors. Everything is packed into its different little boxes, as Malvina Reynolds rapped in her 1962 song small boxes.

Finding a natural space to practice these natural movements is an extra effort for a large part of the population. Hence the question arises: Is it beneficial to exercise indoors or outdoors? A first analysis of the pros and cons doesn’t do much to tip the balance. We can do sports under cover throughout the year, regardless of the weather or time of day, they are environments equipped with the necessary materials for practice, they are clean and safe. Likewise, they allow the generation of a moment of introversion in individual action or a social context such as that of collective classes. On the other hand, outdoor exercise is more varied, with possibilities for organized sports (rugby, athletics, or cycling) or physical activities (walking, jogging, hiking, climbing, climbing, using park spaces, etc.). Likewise, open spaces provide options for socializing and also for greater moments of solitude and freedom. Increase capacity Mental and physical recovery.

However, the benefits of outdoor physical exercise multiply when it is associated with the psychological, social and emotional aspects. Research has shown that exercising in green areas has an effect 6 main aspectsThese include: mental health and well-being, academic improvement, personal and personal learning, active citizenship, reduction of crime and antisocial behaviors, and long-term personal and social improvements (such as adherence to physical exercise and an active lifestyle).

However, the results of scientific studies are not conclusive about the benefits of one type of exercise over another, either Children and adolescents As is the case in grown ups. The improvement in biological parameters is largely determined by aspects such as intensity and frequency the exercise, which can be equally varied at home and abroad. Live in areas close to natural spaces and in places where the time Not too sedentary or excessively increasing the odds of physical exercise; Thus, in order to have a better physical condition, better medical standards, and even a better self-perception of one’s health. If the weather is bad (rainy, very cold or very hot) it increases the likelihood of exercising indoors (3.33 times more than outside) or leads to a lack of exercise (3.49 times more than waiting one or several days). About 16% of people who do physical exercise on a regular basis always do so indoors.

The green environment is comfortableless stressful, making it easier to maximize the protective benefits of the effect of physical exercise in the natural environment, Help to recover better. from Environmental psychology A theory of recovery has been developed in nature, which allows to establish a relationship between man and the environment, generating experiences of recovery from directed attention and tension. Let us remember at this point the need of the population once the initial confinement was lifted due to the COVID-19 pandemic: parks and open spaces were filled with the need for mental recovery through movement and getting out. Let’s also remember the runners of the English athletics team in the film Fire trucks Against the backdrop of a colossal Audio recording. They were an expression of joy, fun and happiness. The water from the waves hitting their bare legs and feet and the sea accompanying them on their journey, a clear expression of outdoor exercise.

Anyway, indoors or outdoors, the important thing is to exercise regularly. Whether it’s running or walking, swimming in the pool, in the sea or in the lake, going to the gym, riding a bike or doing gymnastic exercises at home.

Get information It is the EL PAÍS SALUD space where we will talk about those aspects related to physical activity, sports, physical and mental health. From the sciences of physical activity and sports, attempts have been made to enhance scientific knowledge about the importance of movement and physical exercises on the body, as well as the processes that explain why certain modifications, changes or changes occur at different times. (physiological, anatomical, motor, emotional or cognitive). This space seeks scientific explanations that support and justify the reasons why physical activity and sport are so beneficial. Likewise, you will try to discuss and disprove some of the myths or misconceptions that exist in the community about specific issues related to physical exercise and health.

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