A recent 12-week study carried out by the Université de Sherbrooke on a group of sedentary women revealed that indoor training is more intense than outdoor training and has more pronounced results regarding body composition and cardiovascular endurance. However, the participants who exercised outdoors enjoyed themselves more and were considerably more diligent than their indoor counterparts. In light of these results, we can logically conclude that combining the two training methods is a winning strategy for maintaining an active lifestyle and improving physical fitness.
Combining training methods
Combining indoor and outdoor training is easier than it seems. A good approach is to do two sessions of indoor muscular training and two sessions of outdoor cardiovascular training (running, walking, biking, etc.) per week. This way, you get to continue to develop your muscular and cardiovascular capacity while enjoying the warm, beautiful weather and synthesizing vitamin D from the sun. In the summer, you can also take part in outdoor sports that are less practical at other times of the year, like kayaking, hiking, or even obstacle courses.
Another approach for combining indoor and outdoor exercise is to walk or bike to your gym. These strategies are easy ways to unite practicality and pleasure while increasing your physical exercise and caloric expenditure.
Athletic performance
Summer also marks the start of competition season for many athletes. Be it running, soccer, or volleyball, every sport has its specific needs and requires the development of particular athletic qualities. Therefore, it is important that you combine different training strategies for optimal results.
You can train outdoors two or three times a week to work on your athletic skills (power, speed, agility, etc.) and get used to the outdoor temperatures and different contact surfaces you’ll be competing on. If you combine these outdoor training sessions with sufficient physical preparation in a gym, not only will you be able to stand out and outperform the competition, but you will also significantly reduce your risk of injury. Even though most of your physical preparation takes place over the winter, a minimum of two training sessions per week is necessary for maintaining your progress throughout the summer.
Have a great workout!
