How to get started on an outdoor exercise routine

Between the sweat smell, fluorescent lights and omnipresent television screens, April Herring has never connected with going to the gym.

Instead, she runs, bikes, hikes and plays tennis — anything to get her exercise outside.

“Fresh air, sunshine, the variety of the trees as the seasons change — there’s something about the energetic healing quality of nature,” said Herring, an administrator at Carroll Community College in Maryland.

The health benefits of spending time in nature have long been established, and exercise in general, of course, improves physical and mental well-being. Combine the two and you double down on what adults need to stay healthy, said Debbie Rhea, a professor in kinesiology at Texas Christian University.

“We’ve got to get outside. We’ve got to be active,” Rhea said. “If we’re going to live long lives, this is what it’s about.”

If you haven’t been active for a while, think back to the activities you used to enjoy, suggested Connie Sciolino, founder of the Alpine Training Center in Boulder, Colo., a gym that trains athletes for mountain sports.

People who occasionally hike or bike should start building an aerobic base by taking progressively longer walks or rides. Once you’re comfortably in the 35- to 45-minute range, start adding intensity to build strength, she said.

“They’re probably going to hurt an Achilles or a hamstring or something by doing something too fast,” she warned.

There’s no need to buy expensive equipment, trainers say. Add strength training by using your body weight and what is available in the environment. That could be finding a picnic table or low wall and placing your hands shoulder-width apart to do leaning pushups. Then turn around, put your hands on the same surface and lower your body for dips that work your triceps.

For working your legs, add squats with your feet shoulder-width apart, looking straight ahead with your back straight. Add lunges by taking giant steps and bending down into the space between your feet. For the core, find a patch of grass to do sit-ups.

Start with eight to 10 repetitions, or no more than you are comfortable with, and add sets with short breaks in between as you get stronger.

When it inevitably rains or the weather turns colder, it helps to keep in mind an old axiom: There’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.

She suggested investing in a jacket that breathes and a light hat with a brim you can use on sunny or rainy days.

Trainer Katie Higginbotham recommended having a contingency plan for inclement weather. Pick an area with surfaces that won’t get slippery when wet or somewhere with some tree shelter so as not to be bombarded by rain.