I am one of those people who genuinely enjoy the feeling of running. Regardless of my fitness level, a brisk pace accompanied by an even faster rhythm of music fills me with a sense of satisfaction. Then my thoughts begin racing along with my steps, and ideas for solving all the problems that had been troubling me that day start pouring in with the force of a waterfall. I feel this unusual sequence of events especially intensely when I run through the nearby forest.
Clean air, greenery, and open space are factors that create an added sense of comfort during any kind of exercise, especially running. That spending time in nature while exercising brings certain benefits is almost intuitively clear. It is with good reason that outdoor exercise, also known as green exercise, has grown into a trend. Still, besides personal experience, I believe it is always good to check what the studies say.
Are there clear benefits to running in nature?
One 2025 study shows that running through the forest is not only subjectively more enjoyable, but also objectively superior for the brain compared with indoor exercise such as working out in a gym. Namely, that “waterfall of ideas” and cognitive reset I feel while striding through greenery are directly connected to the way a natural environment stimulates our executive functions.
Attention becomes sharper, working memory more efficient, and the brain faster. Research confirms that the combination of physical effort and specific sensory stimuli from nature, such as cleaner air and open space, creates a unique synergistic effect that indoor spaces simply cannot replicate, making that “forest escape” a perfect tool for mental regeneration. The psychological impact is one side of the coin, but the impact on muscles is a completely different story.
But what about physical results?
Reading other studies, I kept coming across the same findings about the benefits of exercising in nature for the brain, cognitive abilities, and a sense of well-being. But besides the psychological impact, it is interesting to find out whether the environment affects the effectiveness of the workout itself. Can muscle mass be built more quickly? Do we run faster if the workout takes place in nature? Another study that caught my eye was a 2023 meta-analysis, in which researchers examined the results of ten different studies comparing the outcomes of exercising in nature with those of exercising indoors. The results of this study told a somewhat different story.
Although my muscles and mind intuitively voted for the forest, the researchers showed with this meta-analysis that science is still not entirely certain about that “objective superiority” when it comes to pure physical strength or speed. The final results of exercising in nature were, in most cases, fairly even with those achieved in the gym. Still, what pleased me most was the fact that in the quarter of cases where a difference did exist, the balance tipped without exception in favor of nature, especially in terms of motivation.
Although exercising in nature in itself will not drastically contribute to a greater increase in muscle mass or faster improvement in fitness compared with the gym, the element of psychological well-being has certainly been recorded.
For many people, especially if you struggle with motivation, this very factor can bring the greatest benefit in helping your favorite type of exercise grow from an obligation into a routine you will easily return to. And on those days when the weather ruins your plans, you can be sure that running on a treadmill will be just as effective as running in your favorite park. For me, that is actually great news: apart from perhaps a little motivation, I lose nothing by running on a treadmill, and the final result will be just as good.