How does one learn to be more outdoorsy?

Post date: 2022-06-21 00:17:14

How can I learn to be more outdoorsy, as a fat person? I have a few upcoming commitments this summer which will require spending the majority of the day outdoors doing outdoorsy things. I want to dread this less.

I have a few upcoming commitments visiting extended family which is going to be involve being outdoors because they LOVE being outdoors. Within my extended family, there is a sort of accepted narrative of nature being good and wholesome while preferring to be indoors (like I do) is a sort of moral failing. They are always urging me to participate in nature-y stuff, which I am very bad at, and it just sucks.

I am a city mouse. I have no easy access to natural spaces. Whenever I go outside of the city, I feel out of my depth. This is exacerbated by the fact that I am overweight and not in the best condition generally (though it could be, and has been worse).

I find uneven terrain, hills, stepped paths etc difficult, unpleasant and scary. If the weather is warm, that adds an extra level of badness as I don't do well in the heat, I start dripping with sweat and go bright red. I also have a strong and unpleasant visceral, physiological response to heat and sunshine. I do MUCH better in the cold weather, even if outdoors, it's weird but I actually feel stronger and more energetic when the weather is cold. But sadly, that's months away.

Re: my commitments this summer, I intend to draw boundaries as well as I can over what I will/will not do, but I don't want to say no to everything and I can't control things the whole of the time as I am the one visiting them. Also, I don't want to be like this! I want to be confident in all spaces not just my safe space.

I know that practice is the one way to get better at managing uneven terrain etc but I don't have access to spaces like this on the regular. I also am accommodating all the exercise into my life at the moment that I can - aiming for 10k steps a day, but averaging about 8k if I'm honest. I am actually ok with my body, it serves me well in the context of my everyday life.

How can I just like being outdoors better? Not asking for advice on how to become a super fit hiking champion, just to feel happy and confident being outdoors away from all my creature comforts and everything that makes me feel safe.

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