Although the move to outdoor exercise was made through necessity rather than choice, there are some solid reasons to make it a permanent offering. For those who enjoy being outside – and many members will have got used to exercising al fresco – it reduces the drop-off in visits during spring and summer. Sunshine gives a shot of vitamin D and the mood-boosting hormone, serotonin. When the days shorten, outdoor exercise can also help to ward off Seasonal Affective Disorder.
Going forward, The American Council on Exercise believes offering exercise in local parks and community spaces could broaden the reach of physical activity and reduce health inequalities. To this end, ACE launched the #MovingTogetherOutside campaign in April 2021, calling on local and state governments to reduce restrictions on exercising in community spaces such as parks and schools, when they’re not in other use.
Hamilton in New Zealand, is ahead of the curve in this respect. The city council has already launched a Play Strategy to encourage more residents to get physically active by regarding the outdoors as a place to play – investment will be channelled into creating more opportunities for outdoor exercise, such as walkways and cycle routes, as well as allowing community access into schools out of hours.
Urban adventures
A number of fitness providers have been operating outside for a long time. BMF has been training people in parks since 1999, modifying workouts to use whatever environment and equipment is available, whether that be park benches, bodyweight or a partner’s bodyweight.
StreetGym is another company which provides urban circuit training. Army veteran, John Watson Allison, is the founder and says exercising outdoors is beneficial for mental health: “If you work in an office under artificial light all day it’s highly beneficial to get outdoors in natural light. It’s also about stimulating the mind: we take you on an urban adventure, running, jumping, crawling and weaving your way around the back streets.
“We typically identify a circular route of between 1.5 and two miles. Along the way we’ll stop to perform exercises at various iconic cool places before running on to the next spot. The senses are bombarded with welcome distractions which take you away from any stress you may have and it puts you in the now.”
Quebec, Canada
Cardio Plein Air, which runs outdoor training sessions in 160 parks in Quebec, has seen demand increase by more than 40 per cent during the pandemic so far.
”We say there’s no bad weather, just bad clothes,” says director of operations, Thibault Gonnet. “We find the connection with nature – in addition to the effect of training in a small group – overcomes the lowest temperatures in Quebec.”
Gonnet predicts outdoor exercise will be the main trend for the next few years. His advice on running classes outside is to use minimal equipment and cut the music: “Appreciate the sound of the wind or your footsteps in the grass,” he says.
Boutique spaces
If you’re planning to run outdoor sessions in public spaces, check out there isn’t a charge to pay or a permit to get first. Wyre Council in Lancashire, UK, announced plans to charge PTs and fitness instructors to use council land for exercise sessions. Free for 2021, but costing £25 next year, the council says the charge is being implemented in order for it to check instructors are properly trained and insured to keep participants safe.
Rather than go off-site, some operators have set up permanent outdoor gyms, which offer unforgettable experiences in their own right.
Always at the cutting edge, Equinox+ has rustled up a boutique outdoor gym concept called In the Wild. The LA and New York gyms include a tented cardio area, a covered outdoor class studio area, a regeneration zone, strength floor area and heaters to make workouts possible in the winter.
Equipment supplier, Escape Fitness, has noticed an increased interest in outdoor gym design during the last six months and has been involved with more than a dozen projects. “People have realised outdoor training is actually a great experience regardless of the time of year and outdoor training spaces are a complement to the gym itself as opposed to an either/or option” says co-founder, Matthew Januszek.
“These environments will continue to be part of the offering. More operators will see it as an investment to be incorporated into the model. We’ve seen an increase in people searching for sites with the capacity to build an outdoor space – an indication outdoor training is here to stay.”