6 Reasons Why You Should Get Outdoors

In today's fast-paced and technology-packed lifestyle, most people spend almost 90 percent of their time plugged in. Of course, you will step out to get groceries or work, but that doesn't count as spending quality time outdoors to revitalize or refresh.

Spending time outside in fresh air and sunlight can boost your mental and physical health. Here are six reasons why you should occasionally include outdoor time on your to-do list.

1. Recharge Your Mind and Body

Our physical activity is increased when we are outside. Green spaces help boost your motivation to exercise more. Exercise keeps your body healthy and improves your mood. You don't have to exercise strenuously to enjoy working out in nature. Simple walking can make exercise more pleasurable and help recharge your body.

Also, getting outdoors helps lessen anxiety and lowers blood pressure. Sunlight helps ease anxiety and depression symptoms by raising serotonin levels, increasing energy and keeping your mood positive, focused and calm. Experts also believe sunlight promotes better sleep, reducing anxiety symptoms.

2. Increase Your Vitamin D Supply

Vitamin D is important for blood cells, bones, and the immune system. It also helps in the absorption of certain minerals like phosphorous and calcium. Many people are vitamin D deficient, probably because they spend much time indoors and use sunscreen every time they step outdoors.

While sunscreen will help protect your skin from sunburn, it may prevent your body from absorbing much-needed vitamin D. The sun provides your body's daily vitamin D requirement levels. However, you don't have to stay for so long — five to fifteen minutes of sun exposure without sunscreen is enough.

3. Escape the City

While the city offers many conveniences, city life can be hectic and chaotic and stresses people out. Getting outdoors is an excellent way of escaping from the hustle and bustle of the city to a serene and relaxing place. In addition, outdoors helps you to escape and unplug social media, since phone network coverage can be spotty if you are in the woods.

Also, the outdoors presents an opportunity to enjoy and appreciate mother nature and see the natural side of a city instead of the common tall buildings, multiple malls and busy streets. Outside the city, people tend to be more relaxed, which improves their quality of life.

4. Improve Concentration and Attention

If you have difficulty concentrating or have run out of ideas when working through a process, get out for a few minutes and see the difference it makes. A little sunshine and fresh air can boost creativity and improve attention.

Nature reinvigorates your mind and helps you refocus by engaging your thoughts intently and calmly. According to the University of Michigan's study, getting outdoors helped improve memory and attention in adults, especially those with ADHD.

5. Improve Eyesight

Research has shown that children who spend too much time indoors are more likely to suffer from myopia or nearsightedness than those who spend more time outside. Also, spending quality time outdoors is good for adult eyes. The more time you spend before a screen, the more likely you will suffer eye problems. The outdoors helps your eyes practice looking at objects from various angles and distances, eliminating the problem of nearsightedness.

6. Create Lasting Memories with Friends and Families

Being outdoors is a great way to unwind after work and to spend time with friends. You get to connect with families and friends and create lasting memories. This togetherness is vital, especially when you live alone and work remotely.

Going swimming, biking, hiking, or camping is an ideal way of bonding with your loved ones and friends.

Final Thoughts

While enjoying the outdoors has many health benefits, the fact is that you cannot go outside every time. At some point, you will return to your home. But how do you bring the outside indoors and make your home a comfortable and luxurious hangout space?

Having some rustic decor, owning many plants, increasing natural light in your home, or having wildlife decor are some amazing ways of bringing the outdoors into your home or cabin. Although decor cannot replace the beauty of mother nature, it helps you get in touch with the outdoors and reminds you why you love it.

Besides bringing the aspects of the outdoors inside, outdoor inspired decor is an inexpensive way of displaying your passion for the outdoors. Also, it helps you get better sleep, relieve stress, boost creativity and enhance family bonding time.