Outdoor Trainer

Air Quality and Exercise

Particulate Matter and Air Quality
Particulate matter is a broad term used to describe solid particles sometimes found in the air. These particles are coarse in nature and some can even be seen with the naked eye, like dust particles or soot. The particles may come from cars and trucks that stir up dust on the road, factory emissions and windblown dirt on trails. This form of pollution may impair respiratory function and decrease lung function, especially with exercise.

We have a saying at Outdoor Fitness: There’s no such thing as inappropriate weather, only inappropriate clothing.”
 
Outdoor Fitness is an all-season, all-climate workout program. Changing seasons offer new stimulation for your body, your mind, and your senses. The variety and fluctuation of the weather and seasonal changes keep you challenged, enhancing the pleasure of exercising outdoors.
 

Why is it so important for us to connect with nature and be outdoors? Because mounting research shows the profound effect that fresh air, plants, trees and natural outdoor elements have on our health and well being. When you spend time outdoors, especially being active, you can lift your mood, think more positively, feel more internal calm and greater harmony with the world around you.

Recent studies have shown that being in a natural, outdoor environment is one of the very best things you can do for your health:

Want to target that hard-to-reach inner-thigh area? Looking for a great move to strengthen your knee joint? I developed this exercise for just that purpose—and found that it also really toned my inner and outer thighs.
 

I call this a “half-tuck” because you are isolating one leg at a time, in a tuck position. This exercise is perfect for doing beside the short hillside or slope that typically lines the sides of a single-track trail, a fire road, or a paved path through a park. It also works great along a curb or parking block.