Health Benefits of Nature
After a long winter, spring weather brings a motivation to get outdoors. Spending time outdoors may have more benefits than you realize. Time spent in nature has an important role in health promotion and disease prevention. Even a short duration of 2 hours per week, all at once or broken into chunks, can have both short-term and long-term benefits to your health.
Being active outdoors is easy, free, and often more enjoyable. It can become an easy habit to put on your shoes and go for a quick walk. On days when you have more time, maybe you would like to explore new areas or different activities. Meeting up with friends can be a great way to gain the benefits of being outdoors, engaging in physical activity, and having social interaction all at the same time.
“Green exercise” has additional health benefits beyond those of indoor exercise. Most of us could agree that outdoor exercise aids in obtaining and maintaining a healthy weight. It also reduces heart rate and blood pressure in healthy individuals as well as those with high blood pressure. This one action can lead to other healthy choices and behaviors.
In the US, 35% of adults have a vitamin D deficiency (2022, Cleveland Clinic). Vitamin D is important for maintaining strong bones and muscles and for the proper functioning of the nervous and immune systems. Your body makes vitamin D from sunlight, although prolonged exposure to sunlight on unprotected skin can increase the risk of skin cancer. In our area, deficiency is common, especially during the winter months when there is little exposure to sunlight. Vitamin D is found naturally in foods such as fish and egg yolk, and is added to dairy products. Some people need a supplement to achieve recommended levels. Talk with your healthcare provider if you have questions about your vitamin D level.
Time spent outdoors increases the development of a healthy immune system. Green spaces provide improved air quality and decreased noise. Research points to decreasing stress hormones, increasing anti-cancer proteins, and decreasing inflammatory conditions. Being outdoors improves post-surgical recovery, leads to healthy birthweight babies, and decreases preterm births.
Mental health experts agree that getting outdoors increases relaxation and reduces depressed mood and anxiety. It can lead to improved attention, memory performance, overall better mood, and a sense of meaning and purpose in life. Improved sleep from being outdoors helps both mental and physical wellbeing. Use your senses to connect with nature. Consider what you smell, feel, hear, and see.
Research shows that children who spend time outdoors have better attention functioning, higher standardized test scores, improved brain development, and a better ability to manage emotional and behavioral issues. Childhood nature exposure is also linked to improved mental health in adulthood.
There are a multitude of ways to enjoy the great outdoors. Find one that brings you joy. Whether you are active or resting, spending time in nature has benefits for your life. When you are at your best, you can enjoy feelings of happiness, kindness, and generosity. You are part of a big, beautiful world. Explore and stay curious. Take a break from your phone and enjoy the world around you. Be in awe of life. Go outside and do things.
Sources:
Jimenez, M. P., DeVille, N. V., Elliott, E. G., Schiff, J. E., Wilt, G. E., Hart, J. E., & James, P. (2021). Associations between Nature Exposure and Health: A Review of the Evidence. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(9), 4790. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18094790; https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8125471/
Twohig-Bennett, C., & Jones, A. (2018). The health benefits of the great outdoors: A systematic review and meta-analysis of greenspace exposure and health outcomes. Environmental research, 166, 628–637. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2018.06.030; https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6562165/
Weir, Kirsten. (2020, April 1). Nurtured by Nature. American Psychological Association. Vol.51, No. 3. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2020/04/nurtured-nature
Cleveland Clinic. (2022, August 2). Vitamin D Deficiency. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15050-vitamin-d-vitamin-d-deficiency