Why You Should Spend More Time Outdoors If You Want to Improve Your Health

Man on a beach doinga handstand, man in the background holding a surfboard

Whenever you check for tips that will help you minimise stress and help you to relax, you unavoidably encounter the advice to spend more time outdoors. This is very much true as nature has the amazing power of improving your health, both mentally and physically. Unfortunately, there are still some people who seem to neglect the power of nature and the outdoors when it comes to their general well-being. In the end, it’s important to try spending time outdoors in order to notice the benefits yourself.

Stress Reduction

As mentioned, spending time outdoors while surrounded by nature is confirmed to reduce stress levels. There are actually plenty of studies and research on this matter. Essentially, being surrounded by green nature puts your brain in a meditative state, which allows you to relax. What’s more, if you take a walk through the forests, the greenery and the whole atmosphere will almost magically reduce the levels of stress hormone cortisol in your blood, which will soothe your anxiety, reduce blood pressure and boost your mood.

Keep Your Eyes Healthy

Another huge health benefit of spending time outdoors is the fact that this practice is good for your eyes. In general, various studies concluded that children who spend more time outdoors than they do indoors have less chance of developing myopia. What’s more, adults who spend a lot of time in the office in front of the computer screens tend to suffer from eye strain and dry eyes. Being able to relax and focus the eyes on nature and greenery helps the eyes to recover effectively.

Improve Your Sleep

Your natural circadian rhythm and melatonin have a lot to do with your sleep cycles as well as how much rest you get during the night. Coincidentally, these are related to sun exposure as well. Essentially, the more sun exposure you get by spending time outdoors during the day, the better your circadian rhythm will work, thus allowing you to sleep more soundly and get proper rest.

Great Opportunity For Physical Activity

Obviously, there are countless benefits to regular physical activity. Unfortunately, many people neglect this and face various health issues due to inactivity. Therefore, spending time outdoors is a great way to get moving, even if it’s just a little at first. After all, every bit helps when you generally don’t tend to do anything aside from sitting at your desk or in front of a TV all day. But what if you can’t find the time to spend outdoors? Well, why not change the way you commute to work? If you can’t go by foot, get yourself one of the efficient electric bikes and enjoy the benefits of both cycling and the outdoors at the same time. Not to mention that having a good bike will motivate you to spend more time in nature during the weekends as well.

Boost Your Immune System

As mentioned, taking walks in the forests helps with anxiety, stress and even blood pressure. But this kind of activity also improves your overall immune system. It’s simply incredible what breathing in the forest air can do for you. Natural phytoncides found in the air around the trees increase the activity of natural killer cells in your blood as well. What’s more, such activity is noticeable even 30 days after the walk!

We are all a part of nature, and even if we may have forgotten this, nature definitely hasn’t. This is why, aside from the above-mentioned benefits of spending time outdoors, people also notice that they feel happier and more energetic after enjoying their moments in the open air. Don’t hesitate to explore the possibilities and benefits that the outdoors can provide you with, especially when you have so many different ways to do so!


Diana Smith is a full time mom of two beautiful girls interested in business and marketing related topics.

In her free time she enjoys exercising and preparing healthy meals for her family.

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