Lazar Angelov with Nike Tanktop

As you can see in this photo of Lazar Angelov wearing a Nike tanktop, as much as hitting the gym is essential, it's also nice to get outside once in a while and take your training regimen on the go. If you're planning to spend some time exercising outside this summer, you'll be happy to know that research has revealed exercising outdoors confers all of the following benefits:

• Running outside forces you to use more of your muscles, studies show. The demands of running both uphill and downhill, in addition to running on a flat surface, make your body use a wider range of muscles than it uses when running on a track or treadmill. And of course, the more muscles you use, the more calories you burn and the better your overall muscle tone will become.
• Cycling outside also burns more calories. This is both due to the factors mentioned above (inclines and declines in the terrain) and the effects of wind pressure. Cycling into the wind creates a great deal of resistance, resulting in a more challenging workout.
• Exercising outdoors carries additional stress relief benefits. Though scientists are not yet sure why this is the case, a few preliminary studies have shown that people who exercise outdoors have even lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol than people who exercise indoors. The studies also revealed that this can help athletes to stay motivated when they begin to become bored with their usual indoor routine.