Working out has been long proven to improve your health, state of mind and overall well-being. Folks that are overweight might walk on a treadmill to help lose it. Some people's release valve when things become too stressful is to hit the gym and process their thoughts and feelings while sweating to their workout. Nature has also been cited as a soothing and restoring agent for people. Whether it's hiking along your favorite trail or bird watching at dawn, nature provides a sanctuary, in which people can rejuvenate their peace of mind. Merging nature with workouts can unlock a renewed desire for self-health. Many workouts can serve the purpose of improving physical and mental health while simultaneously appreciating nature. The natural piece, with its consistent variables, can act as a kind of catalyst or inspiration to keep your workouts from becoming stale.

1. Hiking Your Local Trails

In recent years there has been a big push by communities across America to develop and protect nature trails. A quick Google search will probably yield many near where you are now. Many sites will reveal the type of terrain and whether a hike is of low, moderate or high intensity. Perfect for low-impact movement, recovery therapy or the warm-up portion of a workout, yoga practitioners could find a trail that takes them to a beautiful overlook, and what better place to do the downward-facing dog than surrounded by the sights and sounds of splendid nature. 

2. Biking the Bike Trails

Communities have also been investing in bicycle trails and lanes. Often, bike trails are marked as such so that pedestrians and cyclists don't collide. If you're looking for a more exciting, fast-paced workout, you can cover some serious ground on a bike. Map out a route on any number of fitness apps and you can watch your progress and then see the distance covered, calories burned and more relevant information. 

3. Kayaking and Paddleboard Yoga

You can burn calories paddling along your favorite body of water, all the while experiencing sensory details that you cannot get in a gym. As you're focusing on your breathing and technique, you'll be surrounded by the soothing sounds of lapping water, birds chirping and the wind blowing through the trees. Further, while micronized creatine is ideal for absorption, paddleboards are ideal for yoga. Just find yourself a patch of calm blue meadow and begin. Of course, because the surface beneath you is in constant gentle motion, your core will have to work a little harder to achieve your poses. 

4. Enjoying Enhanced Geography

While a treadmill can help you log distance, many runners prefer running outside because of the natural rise and fall of the landscape. Walter Payton, former Chicago Bears great, used to run up the side of a steep hill repeatedly to prepare for his NFL games. Likewise, new exercise cycles come with frames that lean to the left and right, because they aim to imitate the natural experience of dealing with real-life terrain. If you had the choice, would you ride the exercise bike or would you rather experience one of the descents from the Alps that defines the Tour-De-France.

Climbing walls have become increasingly popular in gyms. Outdoor rock-climbing or spelunking are fabulous for not only developing stamina but the stretching and contorting that must be achieved getting up or down rockfaces offers a yoga-like element to the workout. 

5. Swimming in Your Favorite Water

Swimming is a great American pastime. It is also recognized for its therapeutic benefits to the body. By choosing to swim in natural bodies of water, you can build muscle strength and stamina and develop cardiovascular fitness under sunny skies. You'll be getting fit while literally neck-deep in nature.

Working out in nature is different than staring at a bank of televisions at the local gym. While both can help you burn calories, the nature piece can open up a mindset that might help working out become more sustainable. Breathing in the quiet solitude that can exist in nature applies a dynamic to working out that cannot be realized indoors.