Why should we get outdoors? There are significant health benefits. Let's take a look.

Did you know, a while ago Japan deemed “forest bathing” an essential part of its national health program?  With forest bathing, the soaking isn’t literal.  Bathing takes on a new meaning.  Immersing yourself in the natural environment.  The concept stems from Japanese Shinrin-Yoku Forest Therapy and goes back to 1982.  Over three decades later, the goal of forest bathing is still to reintroduce people to the healing power of nature.  Much study and research has confirmed what the Japanese have long believed.  Nature benefits wellbeing in many ways.

There are so many ways you can take advantage of the benefits of nature.  It starts with putting down your phone and experiencing the outdoors.  You can always take photos, but why not charge yourself up instead of the phone.  Unplug yourself from your daily grind and get out to the local park, wood, forest, etc.

It can help relieve stress

Getting outside can help you escape the stress of work or school.  Stress can tear up a healthy mind and immune system.  High levels of stress at work and school are associated with depression, obesity, and high blood pressure.  Stress is unhealthy when not managed properly.

Spending time in nature relieves stress in teens and adults.  Bloodstream levels of the stress hormone cortisol are lowered after time spent outside.  In China they did a study with a group of male students.  Those who spent their break from school hiking and camping returned with lower cortisol levels than those who spent time in the city.  And these lower cortisol levels persisted for several days after their retreat to the wilderness.

 

The results suggest regular trips outdoors are a reliable way to manage stress.  Experiences in nature are low cost and accessible to everyone.  For the next long weekend, why not choose to spend time in nature instead of staying indoors.  You will reduce your stress load and return feeling rejuvenated.

 

Did you know that nature can help create more job satisfaction?  Research indicates that office workers with window views are more satisfied and less stressed at work.  If you don’t have a window, take time every day to look outside and feel the stress-busting effects of nature views.

 

It can boost your immune system

Staying indoors can have a negative impact on your immune health.  The immune system works best when challenged regularly.  That doesn’t happen when we spend time indoors.  Healthy doses of nature will help prepare your body fight.

 

A study published in 2010 evaluated the effect of forest bathing on immune function.  For a group of Japanese adults, a three-day trip to the forest increased the number of white blood cells in their blood.  These levels of white blood cells stayed elevated for more than 30 days after their outside adventure.  White blood cells are crucial to your immune system.  They help your body battle germs by recognizing pathogens and harmful intruders with the help of antibodies.  The boost in immunity from a trip into nature can help keep you feeling healthy.

 

Improve your Focus

In the general population, studies have shown that attention is almost uniformly enhanced by exposure to natural environments.

 

A study published in 2009 found that the same holds true for children with attention deficits.  Spending just twenty minutes walking in a nearby park was sufficient enough to elevate attention performance in children with ADHD.  This so-called “dose of nature” could prove to be a more natural solution to attention deficits in children.

 

The same effects can be seen in adult attention.  Views of nature from an office window and breaks from work in the outdoors have both been shown to increase productivity and concentration.

 

For a significant boost in focus and creativity, get outdoors into nature for longer periods of time.  Creative problem solving and cognitive function can be boosted by nearly 50 percent after spending several days exploring the outdoors.  This is why wilderness retreats, and bootcamps, may help you tackle a big assignment or personal goal.

It can help relax you

Anxiety and depression can be crippling.  Coping with mental illness is difficult and methods vary from person to person.  Most physicians and therapists recommend regular exercise in addition to therapy and medication.  Getting that recommended exercise outdoors can help ease emotional and mental pain while improving mood.

 

There are several physical responses our bodies have to being in nature.  Sitting outside can reduce blood pressure, lower heart rate, and decrease cortisol levels.  When we are outside our body slows down, helping us feel peaceful and calm.

 

Our minds work in a similar way.  Spending time outside improves mood and reduces feelings of anxiety.  We can focus better in nature, and our improved concentration can help us address feelings of stress and anxiety.  Self-esteem can also receive a boost after time spent wandering outdoors.  Peace and mental clarity is a big reason why being outside is important.

 Can improve your short-term memory

Nature could be the answer to remembering names, not forgetting your keys, and taking better notes in class.  There is growing evidence that both short-term and working memory can be improved by time spent outside.

 

At the University of Michigan, a simple experiment backed this theory.  Two groups of students were given a memory test and then assigned to take a walk through a garden or down a city street.  After their walks, the participants performed the memory test again. Those who walked through the garden improved their scores by 20 percent.  No consistent improvement was observed in the participants who walked in the city.

 

Natural scenery and garden views calm our minds and help us focus.  Urban settings are full of traffic, street noise, lights, and lots of people.  These things pull our attention in several directions.  This makes it hard to sharpen our focus and recall things we just learned.  Therefore, pondering new information in a peaceful, natural setting may help enhance your short-term memory.

 

Fight “Nature Deficit Disorder

We’re spending more time inside than ever before.  Computers, tablets, cell phones, and video games hog our attention and keep us from getting into nature. That’s especially bad for our children.

Playing outside encourages kid’s creativity, builds their attention spans, and increases their desire to explore.  Recent findings show children, ages 8-18, spend more than six hours each day with electronic media.  A study published in 2002 found that 8-year-old children could better identify Pokémon characters than plants or animals in their neighbourhoods.  As children spend less time outside, unhealthy habits begin to form.

Children who spend little time outside are at risk for developing chronic health problems.  Diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and depression are common companions of a sedentary indoor lifestyle. So why not help your family learn healthy habits and encourage playing outside over electronic devices?