Why You Should Take That Exercise Outside Right Now

Yes, it’s cold outside, but it’s also outside outside, and that, according to Gretchen Reynolds, gives exercise a few added benefits. Reynolds cites a review of 11 recent studies comparing the psychological consequences of walking the same time or distance outdoors and indoors. “In virtually all of the studies,” Reynolds writes, “the volunteers reported enjoying the outside activity more and, on subsequent psychological tests, scored significantly higher on measures of vitality, enthusiasm, pleasure and self-esteem and lower on tension, depression and fatigue after they walked outside. Wait, there’s another reason to take it outside: You’ll do more of it more often. Reynolds mentions a study last year of older adults that found that those who exercised outside exercised longer and more often than those working out indoors. Read more in the Well column of the New York Times.