You already know that spending just 17 minutes outside can boost your mental health. But what happens when you level up, and take your workout outside? Lots of great things for you and for the planet:

CASH.

Remember that Freakonomics fact that 70% of people overestimate their gym use? Doing cardio outside saves you the wasted membership fee (typically $50-$100 a month!) and saves you gas money or subway fare.

CARBON.

Indoor workouts need indoor resources like electricity, climate control, cleaning supplies, and waste management. Moving your boat pose to a local park eliminates those factors, along with the fuel we often use to commute.

CONFIDENCE.

In 2010, UK scientists found that exercising outside for just 5 minutes increased self-esteem.

COMPASSION.

Like our founder Nikki says, when you get close to nature, you want to protect it. By experiencing the casual wonder of the trees, grass, birds, and clouds around you, you’re turning your workout into an IRL appreciation post for the planet, and your place inside of it.

CORE STRENGTH.

When you exercise on a flat surface like a treadmill or studio floor, your body does great work. Taking it uneven surface like sand, dirt, or gravel gives your body a greater challenge to balance and stability, increasing strength in your core, glutes, and legs.

CELEBRITY CRED.

Gigi Hadid, Lizzo, Selena Gomez, Natalie Portman, and Jennifer Lopez are just a few of our favorite women who take their workouts outside… not to mention athletes like Megan Rapinoe and Chloe Kim, who exercise outside like it’s their job. (Narrator: It is, in fact, their job.)