Workout Motivation

7 Reasons to Take Your Workout Outside

Whether you’re going for a run or hitting the park for a boot camp class, here’s why some of the best workouts happen in the great outdoors
By Cristina Goyanes womenshealth
 

You'll Fight Germs

Gyms aren't always the meccas of health we make them out to be. A whole slew of studies show that gyms are breeding grounds for germs and bacteria. MRSA is the most dangerous super bug you can catch at your fitness facility—it's resistant to most antibiotics and can cause fever, rash, wounds, and chest pain. Other less harmful infections include athlete's foot, boils, herpes simplex, and ringworm, according to the National Athletic Trainers' Association. You can avoid these hazards by washing your hands often, changing your socks daily, using foot powder, wiping down equipment before and after use and wearing flip flops in the shower. Or you can simply take your training to the streets (even Rocky left the boxing ring every once in a while to run around his 'hood). Indoor air is two to five time more polluted than outdoor air, according to a study from the Environmental Protection Agency. If you've ever walked into a stinky gym, you know exactly what's up.

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