Nature's Gym (Rewild Your Well-being, Part V)

A climate-controlled box.  A structured class.  An expensive membership.  All uninspired components of how we typically think of fitness.  But I’ve found that the most restorative gym on the planet is the one you already have free access to: the wild world right outside your door.

For years, I treated my fitness routine like an equation:  outdoor runs and hikes for cardio, indoor gyms for strength training.  It was a reliable system, but I wished I could bring more of my fitness activities outdoors.

Then last spring, something caught my attention.  While walking around a local park track, I watched a man transform a picnic table and adjacent fitness station into an outdoor gym.  He moved from pushups on the table to pullups on the bars and completed the circuit with a number of sprints before walking back to the picnic table to start the next set. 

Those simple moves reminded me of why I love CrossFit.  But he was getting all of the functional benefits while getting Vitamin D and enjoying the cool spring day.

The next time I went to park, I spotted an old soccer ball on the field.  It was early on a weekday morning and there were only a few people walking around the track.  I began kicking the ball, jogging to where it stopped and kicking it again.  It was so enjoyable that 45 minutes passed before I knew it.

These spontaneous discoveries – the simple wisdom of a man using functional movement or the unexpected joy of kicking a ball – reveal a fundamental truth:  nature provides all you need to create an effective workout. And in many cases, it has the upper hand.

For example, I was a runner for years.  In the winter, I would run on a treadmill.  It served its purpose but it wasn’t the same as running the trails.  When you run on the stable platform of a treadmill, the stabilizing muscles in your ankles, hips and core barely have to fire.  Yet, it’s these deep, intrinsic muscles that protect you from injury and maintain your balance as you age.

Outdoor movement solves this problem instantly.  Walking on a slightly uneven patch of grass, stepping over a root on a trail, or navigating a gentle slope automatically forces your entire system into built-in cross-training.  You’re not just building muscle; you’re building resilience, coordination and a level of physical capability that is far more effective than any rote indoor repetition.  The minute you step outside, you’re training your body into a smarter, more integrated machine.

If the physical body becomes smarter outside, the mind becomes clearer.  For those leading demanding lives, the outdoor reset isn't merely a fitness swap, it’s a powerful mental wellness tool.  The structured, high-pressure environments of our professional lives, in particular, are often fueled by cortisol.  And what’s the most effective antidote to stress?  Nature.

Research consistently shows that spending as little as 15 to 20 minutes in a natural space lowers stress hormones.  But the benefits extend beyond simple stress relief.  Think about the flurry of distractions and the decision fatigue that drains your focus each day.  The gym demands relentless directed attention, such as watching the clock, counting reps or following a screen.  Nature utilizes your involuntary attention.  When you move outdoors and your attention drifts to the play of light on the leaves or the movement of a stream, your mind naturally rests and recovers without effort.

This effect is the ultimate cognitive advantage.  By integrating your movement with a natural environment, you actively restore the mental bandwidth needed for creative problem-solving and handling daily decisions.  The result is a renewed sense of presence and focus—a feeling of being fully alive that you simply can't replicate in the gym.

In addition, this mental clarity is the foundation for the deepest benefit of the outdoor reset: a complete sensory reawakening.  When you move your routine outdoors, you encircle your system in a rich, complex environment that is inherently restorative.  The complex stimuli—the varying air temperature, the sound of the wind, the scent of pine or damp earth—pulls your mind out of abstract thought and firmly into your body.  This active engagement of your senses is the heart of the rewilding journey.

What’s more, moving on uneven natural terrain invites you to rely on instinct over repetition.  Every step on a root, stone, or patch of soft earth requires instantaneous, intelligent calculation from your body, engaging your native physical wisdom.  This process restores your instinctive physical confidence.

So how do we take all of this insight about the goodness of the outdoors and apply it to the chaos of a typical Tuesday afternoon?  We activate it through a simple, deliberate act of grounding. 

Grounding, or earthing, is a wellness practice that involves making contact with the earth to absorb its natural electrical charge.  The theory is that this practice calms the nervous system and lowers stress, reduces inflammation, and promotes a greater sense of well-being.

Since it’s not practical to go outside and take a barefoot walk every time you feel stressed, here’s a One Minute Grounding Visualization practice that replicates the feeling of grounding.  Not only is it an accessible way for you to reset your nervous system, it also gives your body a simple way to begin to want to spend more active time outdoors.

Here's how you do it.

  1. Step outside, if possible.  If not, you can stand by a window or imagine that you’re in your favorite outdoor spot.

  2. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, arms at your side, eyes closed if it feels comfortable.

  3. As you take a deep breath in, imagine the breath coming in from the sky into the top of your head and traveling down your spine, filling your whole body.  As you breath out, imagine the breath leaving your body through your feet and entering the earth.

  4. On the next breath, reverse the process.  Feel your inhale coming from deep in the earth and traveling up your body.  When you exhale, feel it leaving your body through the top of your head toward the sky.

  5. Repeat this process two more times.

  6. If it feels good, feel free to use your arms to mimic the breath, raising them up on the inhale and down on the exhale.

That’s it—one minute.  I think you’ll be amazed at how effective this practice is.  By taking a mindful moment to connect with the vast, restorative energy of the earth and sky, you give your nervous system a profound reset, regardless of where your body is standing.

You can use this practice whenever you feel a surge of stress or if you’d like to start your day in a new way.  And don't be surprised when your mind starts nudging you toward a longer outdoor walk or workout.  This practice is small but mighty.

By choosing more outdoor time, you gain far more than just physical fitness; you gain functional durability, profound mental clarity, and an unshakable instinctive confidence that will serve as your greatest guide as you create the next chapter of life.

Journal Reflections: How can you bring more spontaneous physical fitness activities into the outdoors? How would that impact your physical and mental well-being? How can you integrate the One Minute Visualization practice into your day?

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