Now that the snow has melted, it’s time to get out of that stuffy house and breathe in some fresh air. What better way to escape than with an adventure to the great outdoors?
Being outside isn’t just a sound way to enjoy nature and take a break from the responsibilities of work and the grind of daily life. Spending time among the trees, the sun, water, grass and even flowers may also provide myriad health benefits and help recharge the body, mind and spirit.
Reenergized, rejuvenated, reconnected
Being in nature has a variety of benefits for health, says Jay E. Maddock, co-director of the Center for Health & Nature in Texas and an environmental and occupational health professor at the Texas A&M University.
“The main ones that we see in research studies are stress, mood and attention,” he says. “The biologist E.O. Wilson developed a theory called biophilia in which he stated that humans had an innate connection to nature. By living so much indoors we’ve created a nature deficit, and spending time in nature helps us reconnect to our natural world.”
Maddock adds that there is decades of research that shows the benefits of exercise for health and wellbeing.
“However, when we do it outside, we tend to get additional benefits,” he says. “We even see these in hospital patients who have a nature view out of their window and are more likely to report less pain and get discharged earlier.”
Getting outdoors has also been shown to improve focus, lower blood pressure and improve overall psychological well-being, says Mike Jensen, outdoor promotions manager at North Dakota Tourism.
“People that get outdoors after illness or surgery as therapy are likely to recover more quickly and with fewer painkillers. Connecting to nature and the earth can rejuvenate one’s spirit,” Jensen says. “I often say that getting outdoors improves everything, body, mind and soul.”
Jensen also includes lower stress and anxiety, better sleep, mental clarity, improved self-esteem, stronger heart, better blood circulation and oxygen saturation to the list of health improvements that can happen while and from being outside.
“Increased vitamin D from the absorption of sunlight can also improve immune health,” he says.
Jensen adds that it’s important to get out into nature for physical, mental and spiritual health because people “need to keep the tank full.”
“Once you get OK with a half a tank, you tend to look again to find out you’re running on empty,” he says. “Once people start to lose their bodily health, sharpness of mind or fullness of spirit, it is very hard to fill those tanks back up.”
Take a trip
Ready to spend some time in nature? Maddock and Jensen offer some of their favorite spots. Maddock says depending on location and residence, most people are likely to start off easy, and that’s totally OK.
“For most of us, it is trying to find everyday nature,” says Maddock, who’s also currently writing a book on hikes and breweries in Texas. “This could be a pocket park or a community garden. Somewhere that is easy to get to on a regular basis, even if it is just 15 minutes on a lunch break. Then when you have more time, find places where you can spend longer periods of time. A lot of this is personal preference. If you don’t like hiking and bugs, try a pond, lake or ocean. Finding what makes you happy will have the biggest impact.”
Jensen says getting out for a hike in a wooded area or near water is the best way for him to reduce stress and anxiety.
“There are sounds of nature, like the rustle of thick cottonwood tree leaves in the breeze or the tranquility of steady waves lapping the shore of a local lake, that are very calming,” Jensen says. “For those seeking a hardcore adventure, rock climbing, river kayaking and backpacking to do some dispersed back country camping can reconnect people to nature and fill that need to experience well-being.”
And if none of those sounds appealing, go for a quick dip, Jensen says.
“I often recommend getting on water to literally soak in nature,” Jensen says. “The rush of cool water while swimming outside is one of the few things that literally immerse an individual in nature and outdoors. I like paddling the Missouri River away from developed areas in a kayak. The movement of the river within the wooded river bottom creates quite a natural experience.”
