When it comes to exercise, many people head straight to the gym, preferring to work their muscles on a treadmill or elliptical machine. While gyms are certainly useful and can give an athlete a head start on their fitness goals, nothing quite beats the benefits of nature. For those looking to improve their physical fitness, outdoor recreation can help boost both physical and emotional fitness and health, while also transforming exercise from a dull routine into a fun adventure. Here are five reasons everyone should head outside.

Improve Physique

Outdoor recreation can often be physically demanding, but the sports work different muscles than those static machines at the gym. Instead of doing countless repetitions on a weight machine, try canoeing or go fishing with a friend. The motions of the sports work the arm and core stabilizer muscles in a different way, boosting the effectiveness of a gym workout and improving muscle tone and strength. Best of all, because the movements come with a healthy dose of fun, it won’t feel like exercise!

Engage With Others

Working out in a gym is often a solitary activity. Headphones and televisions often keep people from interacting or conversing as they work out. Outside, whether it’s on a hiking trail or at a golf course, people can talk to each other, turning a solitary activity into a social outing. Once the conversations start, many people find they have more in common with their fellow participants than they expected, resulting in new friendships and new connections.

Unplug From the Daily Grind

Technology is everywhere in daily life. At work, many tasks are completed on a computer, and at home, countless hours are devoted to the television. Heading outside for a walk or sitting in a park gives people the opportunity to unplug and relax. Rather than focusing on a screen, individuals can focus on watching the clouds or observe the way the leaves blow in the wind. Disconnecting from technology gives the mind a chance to rest and reset, reducing anxiety and stress associated with an on-demand society.

Better Sleep and Improved Focus

Anyone who is familiar with spending hours outside in the sun knows that at the end of the day, their body is tired. Outdoor recreation changes up the way the body moves, exercising new muscles and stimulating the mind. Physical activity helps the body relax and makes it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep throughout the night. Well-rested individuals are better prepared to focus the next day and often see an improvement in the quality of their work.

Develop New Hobbies

Getting outside is a great way to discover new passions and hobbies. Go to a new place, hike a new trail, or play a new sport. Not only will the new experiences help cultivate a passion for the environment, but it will also give individuals an outlet outside of their usual hobbies.

The highest quality outdoor recreation equipment for backpacking uses advanced space age materials to provide the lightest and smallest possible package for easy hauling.

Sleeping bags are the most important piece of equipment any backpacker can own. They keep the camper warm in the coldest conditions but they are also the largest and bulkiest piece of gear. The lightest and warmest bags use synthetic materials for the casing and the interior as well, though down is still widely popular because of its superior insulation properties and ability to compress to incredibly small sizes. If you are not allergic to down, these are the best bags money can buy but just be sure to not get the material wet. Wet down feathers become heavy and lose their insulating properties making the bag useless. Synthetic filling is often much cheaper and can retain its insulation characteristic in wet weather and is hypoallergenic, but often does not pack as small as a down bag.

A tent is the next most important piece of outdoor recreation equipment used for backpacking. The outer tent fabric, called the rain fly, is almost always a synthetic nylon material that is treated with a waterproof coating to keep the interior of the tent dry in rainy and snowy weather. This covers the tent which is often a combination of synthetic material and mosquito netting for adequate air flow in warmer conditions.

Cold weather tents lack the netting to preserve interior heat and prevent any wind from entering. There are four season tents which are suitable for a variety of conditions from summer nights to winter adventures. A three season tent is suitable for all but the coldest conditions and a wall tent is used for extreme mountaineering. Wall tents integrate the rain-fly into the walls of the tent instead of keeping them as separate pieces. The poles are often made of aircraft aluminum for strength and low weight, though some tents use composite materials such as carbon fiber for the lowest weight and highest strength.

Other important pieces of outdoor recreation equipment used for backpacking include the pack which can be made of anything from canvas to synthetic material and often include an aluminum metal frame for more support of heavy loads. These packs contain a multiplicity of straps and attachments for everything from water bottles to tents, sleeping pads, and other camping accessories. A high quality pack will last for years and hundreds of miles with little or no maintenance.

A gaming console is an important element for enjoying a game on your Wii or Xbox. However, since it is generally used most of the time, a gaming console can be damaged quite easily. If you give importance or value to your console – which may come at a really steep price, by the way – you will want to read on and find out about which elements or dangers can make your gaming console highly exposed to damage.

DUST

Like computers and laptops, consoles are equipped with fans. The main purpose of these fans is to help keep your console cool by “fanning” its internal working system. There may be times, however, when the fan may cause harm or danger to your game console. This is because the fan can gather dust and other harmful particles. If this happens, the game console may overheat or choke, until it eventually dies out.

Another factor that may cause overheating is the use of game console covers when the console is turned on. If you have a game console cover, use it only when the console is not turned on.

To prevent dust and other forms of pollution from accumulating on your console, make sure that you wipe the tray regularly. Most gaming consoles have manuals that indicate instructions about how they can be properly cleaned. Never attempt to open the console on your own, as this might mean more problems.

HEAT

Overheating is a very common term, especially when you talk about cars. However, overheating is also highly possible when it comes to game consoles. One of the best examples for this is the original Xbox 360, which automatically stops working once it overheats. The best thing to do to avoid overheating is to make sure that your game console has good ventilation. Make sure that air can circulate around your console. Placing your game console in shaded and cool areas will help a lot. Avoid putting your console in areas where there is carpeting. Likewise, things should not be placed on the console top.

Like most machines and gadgets, when the console is not in use, turn it off so that it can cool down.

POWER SURGES

Power surges are irritating. They come in the most unexpected times and they can cause a lot of damage to your game console. Sometimes, these power surges can totally destroy your console.
The best way to avoid damage from power surges is to use a surge protector. Plug your console into your surge protector.

Aside from power surges, lightning storms can also damage your game console, and in a pretty much the same level as power surges. To avoid damage, make sure that you unplug your game console during a storm, especially when lightning strikes. Do the same also when there are power surges or power interruption.

DANGERS CAUSED BY HUMANS

One of the most common reasons for game console damage is human mistakes. Your game console is a prized possession, so you must treat it like one:

-Avoid using your console for absurd purposes like reheating a pizza (on the console top).
-Never place your console in the same area where you put your drinks.
-Do not let any unguarded child (or toddler) tinker with your game console.
-If you’re not in a good mood, make sure that your game console is as far from you as possible, so that you won’t get the chance to hit it with a baseball bat or throw your controller at it. You might say that this is a far-fetched idea; however, this can be true, especially for people who easily get into tantrums, or those who are easily angered.

There are also gaming consoles with user manuals that carry information on how to properly care for these important gaming items. Make sure that you read through and understand everything that is written there, so that you won’t have problems keeping them in mind.

The best way to keep your gaming console safe and free from damage is to care for it like your own baby or your own kid brother or sister. Another way is to keep in mind that without the game console, your Xbox, Wii, or your PS3 will be extremely useless.

If you keep these tips in mind, you and your console will have a wonderful relationship that will last for years. In addition, you will be assured many years of fun and exciting gameplay!