The birds are chirping, the sun is out a little later, and the temperature is warming up. Spring has definitely sprung, which means it’s time to get outside. We should be striving to spend time outdoors all year round (yes, even in the cold Canadian winters!), but it can be hard when it’s icy, and windy, and just too cold to get yourself out the door. This warmer weather makes it much easier to get outside, so no more excuses to staying indoors!
Spending time outdoors and in nature is so beneficial for our health. The sights, the sounds, the air, and the smells have all been linked to better health and wellness. Simply living in an area with more green space improves our health and is associated with a longer lifespan. Don’t stress if you live in an urban area though, you can still get all of these benefits by getting out into nature more often.
Let’s take a look at exactly why getting into nature is so important for our physical and mental health.
We are dealing with more stress than ever at this time, and chronic stress is a major player in chronic disease and generally not feeling or performing our best. Spending time outdoors lowers our perceived stress, decreases cortisol (our stress hormone), and increases our ability to be resilient to stressors. Time outside is associated with lower levels of depression and increased positive emotions. It improves cognitive function, focus, attention and concentration. Getting into nature provides an effective coping mechanism to buffer stress, and the negative effects it can have on our mental health and performance.
More time in nature can also affect our physical health. People who spend more time outdoors experience less fatigue, have lower BMI’s and are less likely to become obese. It is also associated with lower blood pressure, lower incidence of cardiovascular disease and illnesses in general. For those of you spending more time on screens and noticing dryer eyes, headaches or increased eye strain, getting outdoors can help to reduce the side effects of too much screen time. It’s a great way to improve the air quality we breathe into our lungs and bodies when we inhale fresh air as opposed to pollutants and toxins in the indoor air (just make sure you’re walking in green space, not next to a highway).
Sunshine is a great way to keep our sunshine vitamin (vitamin D) levels sufficient. Vitamin D is critical for mood balance, bone health and now more than ever we understand how incredibly important it is for our immune function.
Overall, getting outdoors is a great way to rejuvenate your body and mind, and help to heal from the inside out. It’s a cheap, accessible and effective way to start improving your health today.
There are so many ways to spend more time outdoors. You can go on walk, bring your workouts outdoors, play outdoors or simply just enjoy sitting in nature. You can plant a garden, eat your meals outside or sip your morning coffee on the porch. We can even connect more to nature by eating more plants. When we spend more time outdoors, we feel a greater appreciation and gratefulness towards nature and our planet and all that is can give back to us.
Hopefully this inspires you to get outdoors today!
Happy Spring!
Resources:
Chowdhury, Madhuleena B. Roy. “The Positive Effects Of Nature On Your Mental Well-Being.” PositivePsychology.Com, 19 Feb. 2021, positivepsychology.com/positive-effects-of-nature.
Franco, Lara S et al. “A Review of the Benefits of Nature Experiences: More Than Meets the Eye.” International journal of environmental research and public health vol. 14,8 864. 1 Aug. 2017, doi:10.3390/ijerph14080864
Meredith, Genevive R et al. “Minimum Time Dose in Nature to Positively Impact the Mental Health of College-Aged Students, and How to Measure It: A Scoping Review.” Frontiers in psychology vol. 10 2942. 14 Jan. 2020, doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02942
White, M.P., Alcock, I., Grellier, J. et al. Spending at least 120 minutes a week in nature is associated with good health and wellbeing. Sci Rep 9, 7730 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-44097-3
