The warmer months are a great time to combine two activities that are proven to be beneficial for your health: movement and spending time outdoors. A gym membership isn’t necessary to achieve the benefits of physical activity. In fact, being outdoors while moving your body can provide additional benefits to exercise alone. We know that physical activity reduces the risk of many chronic diseases such as metabolic disease and heart disease, improves mental health and body image, improves cognition, and much more. But did you know that spending time outdoors also provides health benefits? Spending time outside feeds our innate feeling of biophilia: the human instinct to connect with nature and other living things.
To gain a better understanding of biophilia, think about the last time you were at the beach, listening to the birds fly over and the waves crash. Remember a hike you’ve been on, making it to the top and feeling the warm sun and the cool breeze around you. Even a time you took a walk through your neighborhood, surrounded by trees and other living beings, likely brought feelings of relaxation, rejuvenation, tranquility, creativity, or even clarity. This is biophilia. Biophilia has been well studied regarding its impact on wellbeing. Notable benefits include improved cognitive function, agility, creativity, and overall psychological and physiological wellbeing. Being outdoors can even reduce your blood pressure! Many of these benefits are also achieved from regular physical movement. When exercise is done outdoors, these benefits can be amplified.
Try some of these methods to meet your innate desire for being outdoors and moving your body, either independently or with others.
- Walk along a river, lake, or other body of water.
- Bike to work or for fun around a park.
- Go for a run outside.
- Walk around your local botanical garden or arboretum .
- Swim at an outdoor pool or lake.
- Go for a hike, aiming for difficulty levels to match your comfortability.
- Use the outdoor gyms at your local park.
- Join a local outdoor sports team, such as pickleball, softball, or kickball.
- Look for local activities hosted outside in your neighborhood, such as ‘yoga in the park’ or other classes hosted by local
fitness studios.
Click here for our infographic.
References:
https://www.terrapinbrightgreen.com/reports/14-patterns/#defining-nature
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360132318300064?casa_token=qYMTVxn4AbE
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https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4687359/
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