Spending time outside everyday can improve your overall health and wellness. It promotes mental health and reduces stress. Now, researchers aren’t exactly sure how this all happens, only that time outside does this for everyone!
The Environmental Protection Agency found that 7% of the average American’s life is spent outside. It is time to change that. We need to move away from the screens a spend time breathing fresh air and appreciating the natural spaces around us.
The outdoors can be considered natural medicine. It not only can help people live a longer healthier life, but can also help people live a happier life.
The 5 benefits from spending time outside are ~
- Happiness ~ While researchers still aren’t exactly sure what links the outdoors and happiness, many studies have shown that our moods take a positive shift when we spend time outside. Research also suggests that spending time in nature can also reduce the risk of developing depression and anxiety.
- Stress Reduction ~ This goes with being happy, happy people deal with stress better. Spending time outside has been shown to lower stress levels and has similar effects on your brain and body as that of meditating. Although the exact science behind it is unclear, being in a natural setting shows evidence of lower stress levels through a lower heart rate and lower blood pressure. Get outside and take a deep breath of that fresh air!
- Better Sleep ~ Spending most of the day inside and away from the sunshine can affect your circadian rhythms (this can be a large factor during the winter months with shorter days). Getting outside and enjoying the sunshine can help you fall asleep and stay asleep.
- Energy Boost ~ According to research from the University of Rochester, 90% of people experience increased energy just by participating in outdoor activities. This boost of sudden energy can help inspire you to be more active, too! It’s a bit of a cyclical issue, but I wouldn’t call it a problem!
- Stronger Immune System ~ Becoming one with nature might have some amazing effects on your immune system. One study showed that adults who hiked twice a day for three days increased their white blood cell count by 40%. Well, that makes me want to get hiking!
Ways you can spend time outside without making too many lifestyle changes include ~
- Work from home? Take that laptop outside
- Read a book
- Start a garden in your backyard (You know we love to garden here at BKYD Life!)
- Go for a walk, bike ride, hike
- Eat your meals outside
- Tennis anyone? (I prefer pickle ball)
Now many of those outdoor activities can be done right in your backyard. No backyard, no problem! Your nearby park is a great place to walk, play, relax. Don’t find excuses, just get outside. Your health might depend on it.
