It is summer vacation time and according to the 2018 North American Camping Report, since 2014 there have been 6 million new camping households in the US. Going camping is already known to reduce stress and have a positive contribution to emotional and physical health so it is the perfect opportunity to continue with your fitness regime while camping to maximize those benefits? Here is some inspiration to keep exercising while in the wild.
Climb trees
Whilst you are in the great outdoors, you should easily be able to find some trees to climb, a great physical workout. Stretching to reach branches improves your flexibility by elongating your ribs, arms, and stomach. Climbing trees works your core to keep you balanced on branches as well as improving both upper and lower body strength. Each tree is different so provides a variety of different workouts to test your body in different ways. And the big plus is that as well as improving your fitness, tree climbing has also been found to improve your cognitive skills.
Trail running
To go trail running, all you need to do is pack your trainers and running gear and find a trail. Running on uneven ground and up and down hills works a much greater range of muscles than running on paved roads, including your core, feet, and ankles which stabilize your body.
The challenge of running on mixed terrain also means that you will burn 60-90 more calories an hour leading to increased fat and weight loss. Complemented by the right nutrition to fuel your active lifestyle, you could even come back from vacation having lost a few pounds too!
Wild swimming
Wild swimming in lakes and rivers has all the same health benefits as swimming, namely building muscular strength, cardiovascular fitness, and endurance, along with a few more. It might seem uninviting to begin with, but jumping into cold water improves your circulation and swimming in cold water works your body twice as hard, burning more calories in the process, building strength and contributing to weight loss. Wild swimming will also make you healthier, boosting endorphins and your immune system.
Summer camping trips are the perfect way to enjoy exercise and fitness while in the wild. Have a go at tree climbing, trail running and wild swimming to improve your fitness and wellbeing.
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