Winter couch potato vs. outdoor movement in spring

After cold winter nights and dark rainy days there is simply nothing better than stepping out the door to twittering birds, the smell of spring and the wind ruffling your hair.

Gone are the days where you slump exhausted out of the office or, in the best case scenario, drag yourself to the closest gym. Finally we can exercise outside again, which not only picks up our mood, but also benefits our physical well-being and health.

However it’s important not to launch straight into things, but rather consider a few things in advance:
healthy and balanced training should be based on three pillars. These are endurance, strength and flexibility.

If you want to do something about your endurance then you need to work up a sweat at least 2-3 times per week for at least 20-30 minutes. But you need to make sure that the pulse doesn’t get too high and that you’re not out of breath right away! If you can still talk relatively comfortably during the activity then it is a good sign that the exertion is right. It is naturally also important that you don’t push too hard at the start, but rather start with small steps and build up slowly.

Swimming, running or cycling are the most movement-intensive sports, which use the large muscle groups and are thus high-endurance.

Do you have time after the endurance training to add in a few strength exercises? Excellent! Then kill two birds with one stone, because your muscles are already nicely warmed up and you now have the chance to do something for your tired back and stomach muscles, which are weak from long days at the office. You can also do other strength exercises which don’t need gym equipment. Use the steps in the park for a little “jumping” exercise. This tightens the calf muscles and strengthens the butt and thighs. Push ups can be done anywhere flat, and a park bench is perfect for a few dips: sit yourself on the bench, support yourself on the edge of the seat to your right and left, stretch your legs out and slowly sink your body down toward the ground with your arms bent – then stretch your arms again and bring your body up. Bend – stretch.

Last but not least in the programme is flexibility. It is important to keep your body flexible as you age, so that muscles, joints, tendons and ligaments are supple and less prone to injury. This is easily achieved with yoga, Pilates, simple gymnastics or an outdoor stretching programme at the lake, and gives the body time and space to recover from everyday stresses.