June is National Great Outdoors Month. First observed in 1998 as one week, it grew into a month-long event with a 2019 U.S. Senate resolution encouraging all Americans to responsibly participate in recreation activities in the great outdoors during June—and year-round.
National Great Outdoors Month recognizes that regular outdoor recreation is associated with positive health outcomes and better quality of life. There are proven mental and physical health benefits to being physically active and additional health benefits to being active outdoors in nature, including reduced stress, depression and blood pressure, as well as increased mood, self-esteem and well-being.
Registered exercise professionals recognize they have an important role to play in helping people access the mental and physical health benefits of outdoor movement. According to the American College of Sports Medicine Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends, outdoor activities has held relatively steady in the top six fitness trends for the past three years, up from #17 in 2019 and #27 in 2011.
The Moving Together Outside campaign is led by the American Council on Exercise and supported by the Coalition for the Registration of Exercise Professionals, Move to Live More, the American Heart Association and others. It is a movement to expand access and reduce restrictions to using community spaces for outdoor physical activity programming.
Registered exercise professionals can access tools here to put shared use agreements and affordable permitting structures in place in their communities. This is a benefit for registered exercise professionals, who can expand their offerings with outdoor sessions at a variety of locations that best meet the needs of their clients.
This is a benefit, too, for municipalities seeking safe and affordable physical activity options to offer to community residents. It ensures that programs are structured and led by registered exercise professionals and creates vibrant and active spaces in often underutilized parks, school yards and playgrounds.
Check out our registry to find registered exercise professionals in your community.
