During a medical weight loss program there are certain advantages that come with a gym membership. These include easy access to workout equipment, a dedicated place to focus on your health and a financial reminder to incorporate fitness into your daily routine. But for some people, dislike of the gym will outweigh any of these benefits. If you just don’t like being at the gym, it kind of doesn’t matter how convenient the location is or how great the aerobics class schedule is. If you don’t like it there, you aren’t going to show up very often.
Before ruling out gyms entirely, you might want to consider if there are certain things about your particular gym you don’t like, and see if there is another gym in Scottsdale that might be more enjoyable for you. If your problem with the gym is larger than the four walls of your current workout center, then it might be time to explore other options. Luckily for you, Scottsdale, Chandler, Glendale, and Phoenix are all destinations for nature enthusiasts across the globe, and there are plenty of things to do outdoors that can keep you entertained and active for hours.
Here are a few workout ideas that you can take outside:
- Try going for a walk or jog instead of another cardio class.
- Leave your neighborhood and spend an afternoon on the trails for a more challenging and interesting walking environment.
- Meet up with friends for a game of tennis or a pick-up game of football.
- Sign up at the local community center to use the swimming pool and go for a daily swim in the sun.
Taking your exercise routine outside might be exactly what you need to improve your workout. In 2011, a team of researchers from the UK published findings that people who took their exercise outdoors showed more interest in their physical fitness and exhibited improved mental well-being. Another study out of the University of California in San Diego found that the benefits of working outside are actually amplified for older adults, who showed that moving their exercise routine out of doors significantly increased how often they engaged in a workout.
Moving your workout routine outdoors might be the piece of the puzzle that is missing for you as you try to become more active. Take the time during your medical weight loss program to figure out what works best for your needs. Something as simple as taking a walk around the neighborhood could change your perspective on exercise altogether.