Recently it feels like the weather in Winston-Salem has been a daily dice roll. The temperatures have been incredibly inconsistent, which is tough. However, it looks like the weather is finally starting to warm up again, and with springtime comes the perfect running weather. I do not think I am alone in saying that running on the treadmill with a mask on feels like torture, but since the weather has been so chilly, the options are other cardio or not running at all. But since it is finally getting nice out again, I thought I would share some of the benefits of running outside with y’all to motivate you!
CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH
It is a well-known fact that any form of aerobic exercise (aka cardio) helps to condition your heart and lungs, and running is a great way to get in some heart-strengthening exercise without any equipment at all! According to an article review published in the National Library of Medicine,
running can help to lower your resting heart rate (RHR) and prevent many coronary heart diseases, including the formation of blood clots. Your resting heart rate is how many times per minute your heart beats at rest and is an indicator of cardiovascular fitness. Also, a lower resting heart rate is indicative of a higher level of fitness.
VITAMIN D
The National Institutes of Health’s Vitamin D fact sheet tells us that vitamin D is obtained from the sun (if not from ingested dietary supplements), so why not get outside and get your vitamin D levels up from the sun exposure on your run? It has been suggested that 5 to 30 minutes of sun exposure between 10 am and 4 pm at least twice weekly is enough exposure to meet your vitamin D needs. Vitamin D deficiency can also lead to decreased bone density and strength, so running outside might increase your running abilities too.
VARYING TERRAIN
When running on the treadmill, unless we constantly change the incline, we’re pretty much running on a flat road. Even if you’re constantly toggling the incline up and down, you’re still running on a flat surface. Compare this with running on the trails by Reynolda Gardens or on the cross-country trails behind the athletic complexes, and you’ll quickly find that the bumpy dirt terrain is much more challenging than a simple treadmill. However, if this intimidates you, don’t fret! There’s always just running on cement, which will still provide some of the variety and hills that you might not get on the treadmill. Running outside with varying terrain also burns more calories and works more muscles, like increasing your ankle strength, which makes sense if you think about the obstacle navigation you’d be doing on a trail run.