Environment

It's summer!!  To celebrate I went on hike with a friend thru Muir Woods.  If you are not familiar with this national monument, it is famous for its giant redwoods and as John Muir famously said himself, "This is the best tree-lovers monument that could possibly be found in all the forests of the world." Hiking to and thru the park is so overwhelmingly beautiful, however, there are precautions that must be make.  The hillsides are laced with poison oak.  If you're not aware a wonderous day could be followed by 10-14 days of misery.
 

One of the great benefits of exercising outside is the experience of connecting to the natural world around you. This process of connecting mentally and physically to nature is what I call Environmental Integration. Awareness of your environment keeps you safe on the trail; it also promotes a feeling of “oneness” with the natural world around you. Nature becomes both a guide and a companion.
 

Turns out Nature IS a healer.

 
That’s right. It’s called, biophilia. The “biophilia effect” is applied to this deep connection we humans have to nature. Semantically, it means "love of life” and the theory states that we are endowed with a genetic link to nature that has evolved from our early human ancestors whose existence and survival were synonymous with the natural environment.
 
Nature for Health

Scouting Locations

Choosing locations for your workouts can be a lot of fun. Whether you live in town or out in the country, once you start looking at your environment as a place of opportunity for exercise, so many possibilities come to life! Different environments all have locations and types of props that lend themselves to great workouts. Different environmental landscapes also have their own particular challenges. If you live in the city, you’ll naturally have a different set of factors—and potential hazards—to consider when working out than if you live in the mountains. Depending on where you live, and where you plan to take your outdoor workouts, consider these factors. 
 

Aside from the the type of environment you're using, another factor in choosing your location is the type of workout you’re planning. Each of Outdoor Fitness’ three types of workouts—single site, multi site, and traveling—have characteristics that lend themselves to particular locations.