Pretend the gym is closed

Think it doesn't matter where you put one foot in front of the other? Think again. As effective an exercise as running on a treadmill is, putting in some miles outdoors offers even greater benefits to your health.

Women's Health online reports that taking your run outside can help you burn five percent more calories per workout, thanks to wind resistance and varied terrain. What's more, fluctuating outdoor temps further increase the number of calories you burn by about seven percent because your body must fight to keep your core temperature at 98.6 degrees.

It seems as though outdoor activity also offers more of a stress relief. British researchers compared the mental benefits of a 30-minute walk in the park with a stroll on a treadmill, finding that 71 percent of the outdoorsy folks said they felt less tense afterward, while 72 percent of the treadmill trekkers felt even more stressed.