For many people, being outside just feels good. It may be hard to put a finger on exactly why, but we know it’s just wonderful to be outdoors, surrounded by nature. Or even just walking down an urban street, hearing the birds. It just feels right.
Swipe through to learn why getting outdoors is good for you.
Vitamin D is made by cholesterol in your skin when it is exposed to the sun, so being outside can increase your body’s levels of it. This essential nutrient is important for healthy bones and blood cells, not to mention your immune system.
Staying active outside can help you maintain a healthy weight or even lose weight. An active lifestyle outdoors can help you maintain healthy blood pressure and overall cardiovascular health.
Studies have shown that patients who spent time outside during recovery from illness and surgery healed more quickly. They needed fewer painkillers and had fewer complications.
Spending time outdoors is mentally uplifting as well. Studies have shown time outdoors improves memory, attention, impulse control and creativity. Spending time in nature can help us disconnect from modern stressors.
People who have trouble focusing or controlling impulses, or even those with ADHD, have found that they can concentrate better after spending time outside in nature. Nature, it seems, allows our brains to reset and refocus.
Researchers have found that children who grew up spending more time in green spaces, such as forests, parks and agricultural land, had greater lung function in their 20s than those who did not. The scientists speculate that trees and plants help purify the air, so the kids were breathing healthier.