Approximately 90% of all gym members never engage in any outdoor workout activities; this percentage is not a result of scientific research but rather my estimation based on my experience and observations.
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Running and Walking Trail at Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area Johnson Ferry Road, Sandy Springs, GA |
The gym is a controlled environment where you know what you can expect (safety) and whom you will see (social life). While there are tremendous benefits of working out in the gym, there are serious downsides as well. One of downsides is overuse of the same skeletal muscles due to constant engagement in the same kind of workout; this overuse can lead to number of injuries. The human body is a fine and sophisticated machine and all of the skeletal muscles are meant to have a balanced amount of strength in order to create movement and protect organs. Because in doing the same thing over and over again, certain parts of the muscular system are overused and some are not used at all; this imbalance in strengths of particular muscles can create a condition called mechanism of injury. One example of the many mechanisms of injuries is a condition when adductor muscles are weak and inflexible and the muscles surrounding the groin area are strong and flexible so during a fast run (sprint) athletes often end up injuring their groin area. This injury can prevent you from working out for approximately 20 weeks. The next common mechanism of injury is a situation when only quadriceps is strong and hamstring and calf muscles are weak so you become susceptible to the knee injuries. How many people do crunches during a workout but never do any exercise for the lower back muscles? This circumstance creates an environment suitable for lower back and spinal injuries.
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Running and Walking Trail at Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area Johnson Ferry Road, Sandy Springs, GA |
So, when you leave the safety of your gym and go to some trail close to your house, this is what will happen to your skeletal muscles: your tired muscles that you use every day will take some time off and your forgotten muscles that you barely use during your gym workout will start working. When you start balancing your outdoor and indoor workouts, you can rest assured that you are using every single muscle fiber in your body. Also, and this part is very important, the mental and emotional feeling after finishing an outdoor activity is dramatically different than when you leave the gym. For example, by moving through a terrain you will constantly be changing your surroundings and you will feel very energized by the beauty and the sounds of the nature. By paying attention to the rocks, roots, streams, branches that can scratch your face, the fallen tree that you have to go over, under, or around, you will become more alert and focused then than in any controlled environment, and by inhaling negative ions (negative ions are nonexistent in gyms) and inserting them into your blood stream you will initiate a complex biochemical reaction that will result in increased levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that helps alleviate depression, relieving stress, and boosting your energy.
I know that we are creatures of habit and that old habits die hard but if you are in this large group of individuals that are religiously loyal to your gym, leave your comfort zone once a week and go outdoors. You will be happier, your body will be stronger, and the next time you go back to the gym you will go with more enthusiasm than you have in a long time and your usual gym routine will not appear to be boring anymore.
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