Think about how your day is structured. Hopping into the car, working in an office for eight hours, returning home and retiring to bed might cover the majority of your week. The great outdoors doesn’t factor into this scenario. With more people hovering indoors every day, society is missing out on the pleasures found outside. In fact, being outdoors is scientifically proven to improve your health. Take a look at how and why the outdoors helps your health. In the end, you’ll want to prioritize an outdoor walk as soon as possible.
A Workout Without the Effort
Heading off to the gym may be a daily or weekly task. You’re exercising, but the activity remains indoors. Get outside, and the effort won’t feel like a workout, reports the National Wildlife Federation. Spending any time outdoors means that you’re moving around. Your surroundings encourage movement.
Walk a trail into a small forest. Seek out a waterfall in a national park. You may be enjoying the outdoors, but you’re also exercising at the same time. The new effort from climbing a hill will give your muscles something to build upon. Challenging the body will only force it to become stronger during your next outdoor visit.
Enhanced Vitamin D Levels
The human body doesn’t produce its own vitamin D. You must get it from food or the surrounding environment. For this reason, you’ll see juices and milk that are fortified with vitamin D. Go outside if you want a natural dose of vitamin D.
By spending as little as 10 or 20 minutes in the sun, your body is able to gain vitamin D for vital functions. You need this nutrient to absorb calcium, which leads to strong bones. Without vitamin D, the bones can weaken among almost every age group.
Better Mood
Wilderness therapy can also wake you up like a cup of coffee, reports the Huffington Post. Being away from a busy city and seeing green pastures is a recipe for a better mood. Some people even report that they have less stress in the great outdoors compared to being at home or in the office.
Human beings were meant to be in the outdoor environment so it makes sense that returning to this primitive world is complementary to your health. You don’t need coffee to feel stimulated or awake. Simply take in the visuals and scents around you during a hike.
Exposure to Germs
Being exposed to germs may not sound like a good reason to go outdoors, but it is actually a beneficial quality. Children who play outdoors will get dirty. They get exposed to certain pathogens in the area, such as bacteria in the dirt. This exposure isn’t so severe that the body becomes sickened, however.
The exposure gives the body a chance to build immunity against those types of germs. If the child or adult is then exposed to a similar germ in the future, they have some defense against it. There is no substitute for outdoor experiences that can create this same scenario.
Oxygen Boost
Consider the average city with an industrial hum as vehicles and businesses complete their tasks. The surrounding air is full of toxins that aren’t necessarily natural for the human body.
Take yourself outside for just a few minutes. The plants expel oxygen as you do the same with carbon dioxide. This air exchange boosts the oxygen levels in your body. It’s enough air to brighten your outlook as you contemplate another adventure. Harvard University reports that weight loss will be a natural occurrence as you breathe in the extra oxygen and make nature a priority in your life.
Always wear sunscreen when you go outdoors. You might gain a dozen or more benefits from the outdoors, but damaging your skin is a real problem. By wearing sunscreen, you solely gain the benefits of the outdoors. Explore a different region every week whenever possible.