Do you love spending time outdoors? Fresh air, natural sunlight and exercise – what’s not to love?
7 Ways Being Outdoors Can Improve Your Health
There are many amazing health benefits of spending time outdoors. Here, we will discuss six of the top health benefits of spending time outdoors. So put on your sunscreen, and get ready to enjoy the great outdoors!
1. Lowers Your Blood Pressure and Stress Level
If you’re like most people, you spend most of your time indoors. The average indoor air is around 60% polluted and contains more than 100 chemical toxins. When we spend time outdoors, we breathe cleaner air and are exposed to more sunlight. Exposure to fresh air can improve your lung function and has been shown to reduce blood pressure levels. Spending time outdoors also helps decrease stress levels, which can help prevent heart disease and stroke.
2. Improves Your Physical Health
It’s no secret that getting regular exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. If you don’t exercise regularly, it’s easy to pile on the pounds, which increases your risk for heart disease and diabetes. Spending time outdoors helps increase your daily physical activity by providing a fun way to burn calories during leisurely activities like walking or bike riding. It’s also easy to find ways to stay active outside. Hiking, biking or running along the beach are all fun options.
3. Helps Your Immune System Function Better
Spending time outdoors is also beneficial for your immune system. Researchers in a study published in the “Journal of Environmental Health” found that spending time in nature increased immune function. The immune system comprises many different components, and one of those components is white blood cells. These white blood cells are responsible for fighting off infection and disease. Spending time in nature has been shown to increase the number of white blood cells that fight off disease and infection.
4. Increases Your Vitamin D Levels
Vitamin D is essential to healthy bone and immune function. The body naturally produces vitamin D when exposed to sunlight. The sun’s ultraviolet rays help the body produce vitamin D, but this process can be hindered by pollution and sunscreen. Spending time in the sunshine helps increase our vitamin D levels, which will keep us healthy and robust. Many people are deficient in vitamin D, so make sure you’re getting plenty of exposure to the sun.
5. Helps Prevent Cancer
Spending time outdoors has been shown to decrease cancer risk. Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health looked at data from over 200 studies on cancer prevention and found that spending time in nature decreased the risk for several types of cancer, including breast, prostate and colon cancers. These findings suggest that spending time outdoors may help reduce your risk of developing cancer. In fact, another study found that outdoor workers had a 43% lower risk for developing a type of skin cancer called basal cell carcinoma. Other studies have shown that living in a community with lots of trees and greenery also decreased cancer risk by 35%.
6. Helps Reduce Stress
Spending time in nature can help reduce stress. Researchers from the University of Missouri found that spending time in nature decreased stress hormones in people who were under stress. These findings suggest that spending time in nature can help us reduce the negative effects of stress. Spending time outdoors is also beneficial for our mental health as one study found that people who spent more time outside had fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety. So take a walk, or ride your bike. Spend some time outside, and get ready to relax.
7. Helps You Feel More Energized
Spending time outside can help you feel more energized. Researchers from the University of South Florida looked at data from a study on how people felt after spending time in nature and found that people who spent time in nature had increased levels of energy. Another study found that spending time outside, even if it was just for a few minutes, helped participants feel more energetic and less tired than those who sat inside. So go out, and spend some time in nature for a quick energy boost.
The benefits of spending time in nature are numerous. Spending time in nature is good for your physical and mental health and has even been shown to help reduce stress. If you want to reap all these benefits, this is where Chartwell Gardens comes in. We have splendid spaces for all outside fun activities for large and small occasions. So contact us today, and enjoy the sunshine at Chartwell Gardens!