Where would you rather exercise—in a pretty park in the middle of a city…in a rural countryside…or near an ocean?

A new study suggests that, when it comes to exercising, one of these three places may be more of a mood-booster than the others. And thoroughly enjoying your walk, jog or bike ride is important, because, of course, the more that you love doing an activity, the more likely you’ll continue doing it. Exercise shouldn’t feel like punishment!

So if you find that you’re dreading the gym or that you just can’t watch that aerobics video again…then this story may be just what you need to jump-start your workout routine again.

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

Natural England, a government advisory group in the UK, surveyed people who had gone walking in the previous week in one of the three locations mentioned above. About 70% of the visits were within five miles of the participants’ homes, and the visits lasted anywhere from a few hours to a few days. Participants stated the extent to which they agreed or disagreed with the following statements about the environment that they had visited…

  • “It made me feel calm and relaxed.”
  • “I enjoyed it.”
  • “It made me feel refreshed and revitalized.”
  • “I took time to appreciate my surroundings.”

Results: Walking in any of the three types of locations was associated with positive responses, but there was a winner—exercising in a coastal environment got the most positive responses.

BLUE WATER HELPS YOU BEAT THE BLUES

To discuss the results, I called Mathew White, PhD, a lecturer in risk and health at the European Centre for Environment and Human Health at the Universities of Exeter and Plymouth in England and a co-analyzer of the survey.

When it came to exercising near water, this survey asked participants specifically about walking near coastal (oceanside) areas, but Dr. White said that walking (or exercising another way—such as by biking or jogging) near any body of water—a lake, pond, reservoir or river—is likely to offer heightened satisfaction, too.

Why is water such a mood-booster? Dr. White isn’t certain but said that, biologically speaking, human beings spent much of their evolutionary period in aquatic areas, so a preference for being near aquatic environments may have evolved. We all know how the soothing blue color of water…the way it ripples…the way light reflects off it…the sound of water rushing or waves crashing…and the pleasant smell can make us feel good. Another reason, I imagine, might be that a rural or urban environment is easy for most of us to come by, while bodies of water often are a bit less accessible—and therefore, just being near water is a little more unusual and makes you feel energized.

If you don’t live very close to water, it might be worth it to get to the nearest river or lake for a workout a few times a month. If nothing else, the variety is refreshing and is likely to boost your spirits!

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