Weather inspires outdoor workouts

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With warm weather well on the way, students are taking to MSU’s sidewalks, basketball courts and open spaces in search of two things: exercise and fun.

Here are some of the positives and negatives associated with getting fit in the great outdoors:

Pro: The scenery

Christian Heck, an adviser for the MSU Running Club, said the aesthetics are one of the main he reasons he enjoys running outside.

“You feel like you have to run further just to see what’s around the next corner,” he said.

The city of East Lansing’s Northern Tier Trail offers would-be runners, walkers, bikers and Rollerbladers more than four miles of paved pathways located off of Chandler Road. The pathways alongside the Red Cedar River also offer a popular route for runners near campus.

MSU also has outdoor tennis courts, located near Wilson Hall, and basketball and volleyball courts by several of the residence halls for those interested in playing team sports.

For those with yards or patios, doing yoga or another meditative exercise can offer a better connection with nature.

 

Con: Bad weather

Exercising outside makes it easier to make excuses to not exercise when the weather isn’t perfect, which can lead to an irregular exercise routine, according to thedietchannel.com.

Heck said snow, ice and cold make it easy to forgo the motivation required to head outside. But, at the same time, he said that could be his motivation.

 

Pro (and con): Solitude

Exercising outside makes it easy to avoid the closeness that might be felt in the cramped quarters of a workout room. Solitary bike rides or shooting hoops by yourself are good ways to get some alone time, if that’s what you’re looking for.

Brienna Burns, a personal trainer at Powerhouse Gym, 4790 S. Hagadorn Road, said having a commitment to meet a trainer, group or class for a workout often makes it easier to stick to.

 

Pro: Price

There’s no cost associated with strapping on a pair of sneakers and going for a walk (other than the price of the sneakers). While local gyms’ prices vary, the cost of doing your own thing outdoors is next to nothing.

Powerhouse Gym offers a variety of membership options, from day passes to semester passes, which cost about $150.

Social work junior Ashley Arbic pays about $19 a month for a membership at Fitness USA, 656 Frandor Ave., in Lansing.

Arvic said she’ll run and Rollerblade outside in addition to her time in the gym.

“I’d rather be outside because I love being in the outdoors,” she said. “I like the changing atmosphere when I’m running and the fresh air.”

 

Con: No equipment

Many find the cost of a gym membership worth it in order to get the instruction of group classes or use of the weight machines, treadmills and elliptical trainers that gyms provide.

Those working out in a gym or using a personal trainer are also more likely to work their muscles more evenly. Burns said often times when people do an activity like basketball, or go for a run, they’re only working one set of muscles, whereas a gym atmosphere may provide a more balanced workout.

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