By Meghan McCkloskey, Staff Writer

The nice weather is finally looking like it is here to stay, which means activities like going to the beach and having cook-outs outside are moving outdoors again. This also means new opportunity to stay fit in a fresh environment and moving your workout outdoors.

Not only is working out outside better for your mind, since the brightness of a nice day cheers up a lot of people, it is also somewhat healthier for your body. A study shows running outside is five percent more effective than running on a treadmill since the outdoors provides different terrain, hills and possible wind —especially on Long Island.

Running is an obvious workout choice for the outdoors, but that does not mean there are not other options. The most important thing to do with your workouts is to switch them up so they do not get boring and your body will not get too used to them.

An excellent idea is going for a hike on a trail. Trails are not very common on Long Island, but Bethpage State Park, only about twenty minutes away on the Southern State Parkway, provides miles of trails that are beautiful to walk or run on.

Eisenhower Park, just down the road from the University, is even more convenient. Although not quite the same terrain as Bethpage, there are many loops you can take around Eisenhower that are just as enjoyable. Eisenhower also provides fields where anyone can play baseball, soccer, frisbee, or just play around outdoors.

One of the trends for an outdoor workout is yoga. Yoga is not just for the studio. It is an exercise that can be done almost anywhere outdoors since all you need is something to sit on. Try something new and do yoga on your beach towel at Jones Beach.

The goal is to just get outside and have fun. Working out after months of being stuck inside due to weather is a refreshment for your body and your mind.

The pay-off of getting a good workout outdoors is rewarding this time of the year since warmer weather usually means smaller clothes. Feel confident in the upcoming warm months knowing you did everything to keep your body healthy and looking its best.

Woman performing yoga on the beach (Photo courtesy of creativecommons.org)