Romania among the WORST countries for an outdoor workout, study reveals
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Recent reports predict that the demand for outdoor exercise will soar in 2023, and with searches for “outdoor fitness classes near me” rising by 200% (according to data collected on the 17/04/2023) – it is the perfect opportunity to start thinking about moving our workouts outdoors.
With this in mind, the experts at Live Rugby Tickets were keen to discover which European countries are the best and worst for an outdoor workout. To do this, they created a points-based index system evaluating several factors in 28 European countries, including average temperature, wind speed, pollen count, humidity level and sunshine hours. Each country was then ranked out of 100 for its suitability for an outdoor workout this summer.
The study revealed that Romania rank as the ninth least suitable country for an outdoor workout.
On the other hand, Spain is the ultimate European country for outdoor workouts, ranking highly for its average temperature and low pollen count, while Germany has the highest number of hiking trails of all the countries analysed, however only ranks fourth overall.
The best European countries for an outdoor workout:
|
Rank |
Country |
Average Temperature (°C) |
Average relative humidity % |
Average wind speed (metres per second) |
Total sunshine duration (h) |
Average pollen count label |
Number of hiking trails |
Outdoor workout suitability score / 100 |
|
1 |
Spain |
21.71 |
49.67 |
0.33 |
1289.33 |
Low |
14,818 |
96.6 |
|
2 |
France |
18.94 |
65.78 |
0.65 |
986.39 |
Medium |
16,955 |
93.1 |
|
3 |
Italy |
20.96 |
64.30 |
0.28 |
1197.63 |
Medium |
11,028 |
89.7 |
|
4 |
Germany |
17.87 |
68.51 |
0.82 |
862.52 |
High |
35,092 |
86.2 |
|
5 |
Greece |
22.73 |
55.07 |
0.60 |
1253.80 |
Low |
2,367 |
82.8 |
|
6 |
Switzerland |
13.76 |
75.64 |
0.16 |
902.36 |
Low |
10,302 |
79.3 |
|
7 |
Netherlands |
17.66 |
72.66 |
1.19 |
823.19 |
High |
5,784 |
75.9 |
|
8 |
Croatia |
20.93 |
65.41 |
0.49 |
1134.87 |
Low |
2,848 |
72.4 |
|
9 |
United Kingdom |
14.36 |
78.63 |
1.34 |
623.60 |
High |
23,683 |
69 |
|
10 |
Hungary |
21.35 |
62.47 |
0.58 |
1107.72 |
High |
2,233 |
65.5 |
Romania rank as the ninth worst country for outdoor workouts
Romania rank ninth last with a final score of 31/100. This score has been largely attributed to having the second highest pollen count of all the countries analysed (0.76 grains per m3). This is 82% higher than Greece which has among the lowest pollen counts of 0.13 grains per m3.
The best countries for an outdoor workout
Spain is the ultimate country for an outdoor workout, with a suitability score of 96.6/100. Spain has the second highest average temperature of the top ten countries analysed (21.71°C), only behind Greece (22.73°C). As working out in high humidity can lead to dehydration, low humidity levels in Spain (49.67%) makes it one of the ultimate locations for outdoors exercise. This is 36% lower than the United Kingdom, which has the highest humidity level in the top ten (78.63%).
France places second with an outdoor workout suitability score of 93.1/100. With average temperatures of 18.94°C and a medium pollen count (0.29 grains per m3), France is a more favourable destination for outdoor workouts than Belgium, which has a high pollen count of 0.67 grains per m3. Low rainfall in France has also contributed to a high suitability score. The total precipitation per month is among the lowest of the top ten (265.05 mm), nearly half the level of rainfall experienced in Switzerland (620.13 mm). France’s low precipitation is vital for exercising outside because increased precipitation creates wet surfaces which can lead to injuries.
Italy’s outdoor suitability score of 89.7/100 ranks the country in third place. Italy has the third highest sunshine hours (1,197.63) in the top ten, giving fitness fanatics plenty of opportunity to exercise outdoors during the day. This is almost a quarter (24%) more sunshine hours than Switzerland, which has just 902.36 hours. Also contributing to Italy’s score is its wind speed of just 0.28 m/s — the second lowest wind speed in the top 10 — over one metre per second slower on average than the United Kingdom (1.34 m/s). Having a low wind speed is beneficial for exercising outdoors because higher winds can negatively affect balance.
The country least suitable for an outdoor workout:
Liechtenstein is the least suitable country for an outdoor workout, with an overall workout suitability score of 3.4/100. Liechtenstein’s high monthly rainfall of 791.61 mm, 66% more than neighbouring country France (264.05 mm), contributes significantly to this score. It’s important to exercise in areas with low precipitation as increased rainfall creates wet surfaces that can be hazardous and increase the risk of injuries.
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