The importance of regularly getting outdoors is becoming a hotly talked about topic, with examples such as the Duchess of Cambridge’s Back To Nature Garden, which she designed for the 2019 Chelsea Flower Show inspired by her belief in the importance of nature and the outdoors in the development of children into happy, healthy adults. With the internet, social media, televisions and streaming services, people simply don’t go out as much as they used to. Whilst it is especially tempting in Winter to spend your weekends curled up watching your favorite film or playing on online bingo sites, there are a number of good reasons why we should instead pull on our shoes and get ourselves out of the house.
Offset Seasonal Affective Disorder
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is linked to reduced exposure to sunlight during the Autumn and Winter months especially. In the UK, 1 in 3 people suffer from SAD. Its symptoms vary from person to person, but generally, it causes a persistent low mood, irritability, low self-esteem and can cause people to feel less sociable and thus isolated.
The NHS recommends getting outside often during the daytime, even if it is just for a brisk ten-minute walk over your lunch break. This will allow your body chance to absorb the vitamin D from the sunlight that it requires, which will help to regulate your mood, and will also help your body clock to regulate itself, which should, in turn, help you to sleep better at night.
General Stress Relief
Chronic stress is becoming a common problem for many people in today’s society, due to the pressures of work, financial worries and of course more personal and family-related issues.
Spending time outdoors, especially in nature, is known to have a calming, therapeutic effect on our minds. In fact, studies have suggested it to be just as relaxing and beneficial for our mental state as meditation.
Keep Fit
Currently, in the UK, 13 million adults are obese, which is putting a great deal of pressure on our NHS and involves a number of serious risks for the individual, such as increased chances of developing diabetes, heart disease and cancer amongst other illnesses. Regularly getting out and about, combined with a sensible and well-balanced diet, can help us to effectively shift the pounds. Whilst long morning runs definitely won’t be for everyone, even short walks around the local park, spending time gardening or running some errands in town, can burn off a significant number of calories and help to get us into better shape.
Improved Immune System
Recent studies have suggested that spending more time outside can actually help to boost our immune systems. Researchers and scientists believe that breathing in phytoncides, which are airborne chemicals produced by plants, can increase our levels of white blood cells. These white blood cells are what helps us to fight off infections and diseases, so spending more time in the outdoors may well stop you from catching that cold next time around.
Improved Vision
Exposure to natural sunlight has been shown to have a positive impact on our vision. Since the 1970s, nearsightedness or myopia has risen significantly. Originally considered an inherited eye problem by scientists, myopia has other factors that may well explain the increase in cases of nearsightedness. It is understood that it may be due to a type of self-imposed hermitage; artificial lighting, excessive amounts of time spent indoors, and the glare given off by electronic devices can potentially cause damage to your vision and cause myopia to form. Whilst in the past, people spent a lot of time outdoors, our day to day habits have now, of course, shifted almost completely, and it seems to be having a negative impact on not only our fitness levels and general mental well-being, but also our optical health as well.
Spending time outside every day can feel challenging, especially so if you live in a city, drive to work and/or work in an office-based job. However, there are plenty of ways in which you can easily bag yourself ten minutes or so of outdoor time. Walk on your lunch break, stand out on your front porch for a few long moments, go for a jog around your neighborhood, plan a day trip to the beach or a national park, or at the very least sit close by to an open window when its sunny outside. Your general health, both mental and physical, will definitely thank you for putting even just five or ten minutes a day into being better connected with the outdoors and nature.
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
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