5 Best Outdoor Sport and Recreational Exercise Activities

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When it comes to exercise, most of us think about going to the gym to burn off some calories. However, walking on a treadmill or riding a stationary bike can be rather boring and monotonous, so why not try to get your workout in while doing something more fun and engaging? 

Spending time outdoors is one of the best ways to incorporate exercise into your daily routine, but you have to find the right activity to make it all worthwhile. So, with that in mind, we’ve created a list of the top outdoor sport and recreational activities for exercise. Never miss a workout again. 

1. Backpacking and Hiking

If you live in an area with a lot of natural spaces, then you should go exploring as often as possible. Although sometimes it can be a bit of a drive to get to your destination, the payoff can be spectacular. One of the best things about backpacking or hiking is that it doesn’t take a lot of skills or planning to do. Just bring along a few essentials (i.e., water, snacks, first aid), and you’re ready to go. Best of all, you don’t even have to have a planned route. Simply walk until you feel like you’ve experienced all that the area has to offer. The other fantastic thing about this activity is that you can do it almost anywhere. Exploration is all about finding the unknown, and you can discover places that you would otherwise never see. Whether you’re going around your hometown or trying a new place while traveling, hiking is one of the best ways to experience it. Also, getting to spend time in nature can be incredibly restorative to your system. When we spend all of our time in the city, we lose part of ourselves that can lead to a host of problems. Hiking in and around natural areas can rejuvenate your body and make you feel better. It’s not just the exercise that benefits you, but the connection to the Earth.

When it comes to burning calories, hiking or backpacking is one of the fastest ways to do that. Because you’ll be climbing up steep slopes and walking on uneven terrain, you will experience much more of a workout than if you were doing the same distance on a treadmill. Overall, this is the best kind of outdoor activity for exercise enthusiasts. 

2. Golf

Although most people wouldn’t necessarily associate golf with working out, the fact is that you can burn a lot of calories by walking along the course. Obviously, going from hole to hole in a golf cart will negate a lot of the effects, so try to avoid it if you can. One of the best things about playing golf is that it offers more solitude than other sports. Rather than competing against other people, you can spend all day on the course by yourself and rarely come into contact with players. On the flip side, you can play golf with others and make it more of a social interaction. No matter how you do it though, golf can be one of the most rewarding and stimulating activities you can do. Another reason to use golf as a means of exercise is that you can work on your skills while burning calories. Although traveling through the rough can be more exhausting and work up a sweat, you want to try to be as efficient as possible. If you do a full 18 holes, you’ll be walking several miles no matter what.

The other thing about golfing as a form of exercise is that you have to carry your clubs with you or put your golf bag in a push cart. Lugging about 20-30 pounds of gear can make even the most in-shape person get tired after a while, so you can make a lot of progress when you take to the links on a regular basis.

Overall, when it comes to sports, golf is both relaxing and engaging, making it an ideal choice for most people. 

3. Jogging and Running

If you want to maximize your calorie count while still getting to explore nature, then you should take up jogging or running. While many people will prefer to do this at the gym, there is something so much more rewarding when you do it outside instead.

Unlike hiking or backpacking, you don’t have to travel to a particular spot to get started. You can begin from your front porch and run all around your neighborhood. When it comes to convenience, running or jogging is probably the sport with the lowest bar of entry. All it takes to start is a pair of decent running shoes and some lightweight clothes.

Another benefit of jogging and running is that you go for as long as you like. You can pick a route that takes 10 minutes or two hours, making it a versatile way to burn calories outside. That also means that even if you don’t have as much time as usual, you can still fit in a jog or a run without losing your overall momentum. The fun thing about this sport is that you can change things up really quickly as well. If you’re tired of running the same route, go a different way next time. Choose a rallying point that’s on the opposite side from where you normally go and see how the scenery changes. You can also incorporate some other practical benefits, such as jogging to the store to get groceries or supplies. We also like that you can run almost any time of day. Most people want to do it first thing in the morning, but there’s no reason you can’t jog your route in the afternoon or evening. While night running can be an issue of safety depending on where you are, it can also be much quieter and more relaxing as well.

When it comes to calories burned, you can get up to 1000 per hour when you keep a steady pace. Even if you mix jogging and walking, you can still burn around 400-500 without too much extra effort. 

4. Biking

Like running, riding a bike is another extremely versatile outdoor sport. Best of all, you can make it as challenging or as easy as you like, meaning that almost anyone can get started with minimal training. One of the issues with running or hiking is that they are high-impact sports. If your body is not up to the challenge, then you may wind up doing more harm than good. No one wants to ruin their knees or legs just to lose a few pounds, which is why biking is such a fantastic choice. Biking is relatively low impact, although it can work out your knees a lot depending on the kind of bike you have and the riding you do most. Nonetheless, you won’t have to worry as much about tearing up your insides, especially if you choose flat, stable terrain. However, if you’re up for a challenge, mountain biking is an incredible way to explore the wilderness while still getting an intense workout. Climbing steep hills and navigating your way back down can be thrilling and exciting, and you can burn around 500 calories per hour easily. Street riding is another option, and you can pick your route as you see fit. Like running, you can ride your bike for a few minutes or a few hours depending on your schedule, and you can mix things up as much as you like during your routine.

Finally, biking is great because almost anyone can do it. You can bring friends or family along (including kids). That’s not the case with some of these other activities. 

5. Basketball

Because we’re talking about sports and exercise, we have to mention basketball at some point. More than any other competitive game, basketball will help you get in shape much faster. The reason that this will have much more of an impact on your calorie burning is that it’s such a fast game. Unlike golf, football, or baseball, there are not that many breaks in basketball. While you’re in the game, you will be running back and forth down the court almost the whole time. Only when there is a timeout or you’re on the bench will you be able to rest. Thus, you can get into shape a lot faster with this sport than with almost anything else.

The other great thing about basketball is that it’s fun to play. Whether you’re good or not, it can be exciting to play with your teammates for a few hours and work up a sweat. It’s not about winning or losing, but having fun and enjoying yourself. However, if you are competitive, this is one of the best games to unleash your dominating spirit. 

Conclusion

Overall, if you’re ready to get active outside, then any one of these activities will help you in your quest to burn calories and have fun. Best of all, you can combine them to make sure that you get into shape even faster and more reliably. Hike whenever you get a chance to go to a new location, and play golf once or twice a week. Biking or jogging can be a daily activity, while basketball can be perfect for the weekends.

No matter what you do, be sure that you’re enjoying every minute of it.