Everyone is concerned with their health these days, but far too many people forget the free health treatment that is always available just outside their front door. Many people are cooped up inside all day, and some never even see the sun for days on end. But the benefits of being outdoors are well-established. Learn how going outside can help you feel better today!
Improve Your Mental Health
Regardless of what you like to do outside, whether it is walking, gardening, or even just basking in the sun, being outdoors improves your mood and contributes to better mental health. Patient says that one of the reasons for this is that sunlight stimulates the secretion of serotonin in your body. Serotonin is a hormone that promotes positive and peaceful feelings. There is also something about getting outside that seems to slow down time and restore mindfulness. Breathing fresh air is enlivening and refreshing, and looking at the beauty around you can promote gratitude. All of these benefits are known to contribute to mental health.
Get Vitamin D
Most foods do not naturally contain Vitamin D. Instead, our bodies were made to produce this essential vitamin through exposure to sunlight. Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent among adults, and the symptoms of this include fatigue, leg pain, achy joints, and depression. This is also a likely contributor to seasonal affective disorder, which afflicts millions of people worldwide. According to Maccaro Pediatric Dentistry, just 15 minutes of sunlight may be enough to absorb the Vitamin D you need.
Improve Your Physical Health
In addition to providing needed Vitamin D, being outside contributes to your physical health in other ways. According to Right as Rain, studies have correlated time spent outdoors with lowered blood pressure, decreased stress, improved sleep, bolstered memory, enhanced brain function, and more. Like exercise, spending more time outside is essentially a silver bullet for better health. With too many electronic distractions and over-busy schedules, people are spending less and less time outside. But going outside for at least an hour a day can improve your concentration and aid in your mind’s developmental health.
With all the advantages of getting outside, why wait? Plan to go out of doors every day. You could take a thirty-minute walk during your lunch break or get out and tidy the yard. Go for a jog or play a sport. It doesn’t matter what you do, so long as you go out there and do it! You will always be glad you did.
Read this next: What You Need to Know Before Spending a Lot of Time in the Sun
