The increasing obesity rate, depression issues, and the monotony of staying indoors in the pandemic have boosted the need for outdoor activities throughout the world. Activities such as hiking, trekking, rafting, and even jogging, are the best and most cost-effective alternatives for the gym. Most people associate healthy activities with strenuous workouts and fitness programs. Although these programs have their own benefits, everyone can not afford to invest a big amount of money and time in regular gym sessions.
Moreover, in today’s fast-paced world, where everything comes down to powerful technology, it is sometimes healthy to connect to nature for the immense mental and physical health benefits. It is like unplugging from the power charger and recharging in the wilderness. Fishing, hiking, running, and walking can help you experience the natural health benefits. The benefits of outdoor activities call for the article to discuss why these recreational activities lead to a healthy life.
Relieves Stress
Cortisol is the hormone associated with your stress level. The hormone significantly reduces in the human body when you watch birds, walk among trees, and do activities in the wilderness. Therefore, people take time out from their busy life schedules to camp in the woods. Camping and trekking on natural grounds are best for individuals who suffer from anxiety. Office workers who have their seats beside windows looking out the nature remain less stressed and more satisfied at work. A study was conducted with Chinese students; the results revealed that students who spent their vacations camping and hiking returned with reduced cortisol levels compared to those vacationing in the city.
Moreover, the cortisol levels remained low for days after the vacation, while high-stress levels lead to depression, high blood pressure, and obesity.
Strengthen Immunity
Staying indoors for prolonged periods can negatively impact your immunity because immunity gets stronger when regularly challenged. When you remain indoors in a stable environment, your immunity system gets lazy and doesn’t react fast enough when required. Published research in 2010 discussed forest bathing and its effect on the immunity system. A Japanese group was sent on a three-day forest trip. On evaluation, the study revealed a notable increase in their white blood cells. The increased levels persisted for more than 30 days after the trip. White blood cells help the human body fight foreign bodies by segregating pathogens and other harmful intruders through antibodies. Immunity is crucial to remain healthy for young and adults alike, and outdoor activities keep your body ready to fight with good immunity, therefore plan stimulating activities in a challenging environment for a healthy life.
Sharpen your Focus
Unlike the gym, where you exercise on flat floors and benches, the outdoor terrain includes woods, winding paths, hills, and valleys. The unevenness and roughness of nature force you to stay alert and focused at all times. Outdoor exploration enhances cognitive abilities and creativity to around 50%. Studies show that exposure to nature enhances attention. A 2009 research found that you can improve the attention span of ADHD children by making them spend twenty minutes in a park.
Bring Calmness
Depression and anxiety are the deadliest mental problems that people are facing these days. Everyone deals with these problems differently, but most therapists recommend outdoor activities besides medication and therapy. Outdoors ease mental and emotional pains, which consequently improve mood.
Outdoors reduce lower heart rate, blood pressure, and cortisol levels, resulting in a peaceful and calm body and mind. The mental clarity and improved mood reduce anxiety, so add the dose of nature to your psychological healthcare regimen.
Improves Sleep
Your sleep cycle depends on the accuracy of your internal clock. You can not regulate your night sleep without streamlining your internal clock. The best way to regulate your internal clock is to sufficiently expose your eye cells to sunlight, mainly before noon. Therefore, spend more time outdoors in the morning hours. It becomes more important when you get older.
Stay Healthy
Exercising in fresh air burns calories and fat without stressing you out. Being outdoor helps in sleeping better, maintaining diet, and increasing water intake. All these factors help in weight loss. You can burn 149 calories with a half-hour of an outdoor walk, 372 calories with 30 minutes bike ride, and so on. Inculcate your time walking, running, biking, and playing outside to lower the obesity risk. Take the exercise outside your gym to enjoy the many health benefits that nature offers.
Natural outdoor activities are accessible and low cost to everyone. So, choose them over cities and computer screens when you have your next long weekend. Wear your custom athletic t-shirts and runners, and schedule your outdoor exercise. You will feel healthier, lighter, rejuvenated, and happy after your nature time. Also, encourage your children to get active outside and decrease their screen time to bring significant health benefits to their minds and bodies.
Author’s Bio – Shawn joy is a community manager and a professional blogger for 2 years. He loves to write his thoughts into his blogs. He is also a fitness freak, loves to do working out in his leisure time.
