18 Reasons Why Getting Outside More Can Strengthen Your Mind, Body, And Soul

Getting outside a lot more than usual can be good for your health, it isn’t just good for your body but your mind and soul as well. Getting outside can help reduce the risk of certain diseases as well as provide your body with the exercise it needs by doing physical things outside like playing sports. Here are 18 reasons why getting outside more often can help strengthen not only your mind but your body and soul.

More Creativity

If there was ever a reason to get outside more often, helping you be more creative is the perfect reason. Everyone wants to be more creative in their work and in their personal life. A study found that by people getting outside for at least four days increased their creativity on a problem solving test by at least 50 percent.

Boost Your Depressed Mood

There have been studies that found being outside and getting connected with nature can help make you feel a lot better when you are feeling down. It is especially true when you are walking in nature with a friend. So, when feeling down, grab a friend and go for a walk outside.

Can Boost Your Self-Esteem

A study found that getting outside, particularly around water, can boost your self-esteem. Since many people have low self-esteem issues, going for a swim in the lake or a nearby pool will help boost it and make you feel more confident about yourself.

Can Improve Memory

Getting outside and getting closer to nature can help improve your memory. A study at the University of Michigan found that students who were given a brief memory test and then went for a walk outside around nature did 20 percent better than those who didn’t. They say that being close to nature can help as much as meditating can.

Getting Back To What Matters

If you are worrying about trivial things right now, getting outside will help you feel a lot better. Studies have found that by listening to the birds, looking at trees, and just getting closer to nature can help you realize those little things don’t matter so much and can help you realize the bigger picture.

Restoring Your Mental Energy

After being on the go for a while, you might find that you can’t think straight anymore. This is actually mental fatigue and you can restore it by getting outside. A study found that just by looking at pictures of nature helped restore people’s mental energy. However, it is much better to get outside with nature.

Help You Sleep Better

If you find your sleep pattern is out of whack, go outside in the early morning hours and get some sun. A study found that those who get outside in the early morning hours sleep better at night. This is because our sleep patterns are tied to the sun. If you stay inside too much and don’t get enough natural sunlight, your sleep pattern could really mess up on you. The best way to fix a sleeping pattern is to go on a camping trip and sleep outside. This sounds fun too!

Help Relieve Stress

If you are feeling really stressed lately, head outside. Who isn’t feeling stressed these days with so much going on? A study found that those who walked around in the forest produced less of the hormone cortisol, which is responsible for stress.

Improve Focus And Concentration

Next time you are having trouble focusing on work, it means you need to get outside for a while. Studies have found that going to the beach or taking a trip to the country can help improve your focus and concentration. Interacting with nature helps give your brain a break from being over-stimulated.

Boost Your Immune System

Spending more time outside can help boost your immune system. A study was done at the Nippon Medical School in Tokyo and it found that women who spent two days in the woods had a boost in their immune system. It actually increased their virus and infection fighting white blood cells and this boost lasted for a whole week afterwards. So, if you want to get healthier, get outside more often.

Improve Your Vision

If you work on your computer for a living, you could be at risk for Computer Vision Syndrome. This syndrome is what causes doubled and blurry vision as well as headaches and neck and back pain. Getting outside and looking at things two feet or more away can help reduce the risk.

Provides You With An Increase In Vitamin D

Lack of Vitamin D can be very dangerous; this is because not having enough can be linked to many diseases such as Alzheimer’s, cancer, and even osteoporosis. This is why it is important to get outside as much as you can to soak in the Vitamin D from the sun. Supplementing it might not be enough so get outside more to make sure you get enough of it.

Getting Fresh Air

Although outside pollution is bad for your health, inside pollution can be a lot worse. This is why getting fresh air helps you. In fact, the EPA from New England has stated that inside pollution can be up to 100 times worse for you than outside pollution. So, get outside and get some fresh air and you will feel better!

Can Reduce Your Cancer Risk

Getting outside in nature can help reduce your risk of cancer. A study found that spending time at the beach or in the forest can increase the production of anti-cancer proteins and help reduce your risk of cancer. Also, being around trees in the forest can make you live longer.

Help You Live Longer

You can actually live longer if you spend more time outside. Many studies have found a link between getting outside more often and living longer. One study in the Netherlands found that the more green space you have in your living environment, the healthier you will be. Just another reason to get outside more often!

Keep Inflammation Under Control

Spending time outside can keep the inflammation in check for you. Although some inflammation helps when you stub your toe or are exposed to the flu, too much inflammation can cause different diseases and even pain.

More Of A Grounding Effect

Being outside is a great way to ground your body. Grounding means you are walking barefoot and get the effects from the Earth that can stabilize the electrical state in your body. Grounding can also reduce the risk of chronic inflammation.

You Can Get More Exercise

Going outside can help you get more exercise. You can play different sports, go for a bike ride or just walk. By going for a walk, you are not only helping your body but your mind and soul as well. Exercise has many benefits so get outside and get more of it!