Get our and enjoy nature! Get out and improve your health!
There are many reasons to just get outside, but they're not all related to your physical health. Numerous studies have found through both correlational and experimental research that interacting with nature can help calm our busy brains. That's right, our brains need rest, even when we're physically awake! Exposure to nature has been linked to improved attention, lower stress, better mood, and more.
Throughout the summer I take my kids to "the forest" (that's what they call it, but really it's just our local metro parks) where we hike through the woods, observe animals, play in the water, dig in the dirt, and so on. Beyond the mental calm that being out in the woods provides my own brain, it is even more rewarding for my children.
When we're at the "forest" the kids brains are getting a break from the high paced and high stressed lifestyle we largely unavoidably live on a day-to-day basis. But they're simultaneously getting a chance to exercise their brains in a healthy way - physically touching leaves and trees and soil and water, experimenting with building earthen dams on the banks of creeks, watching Centipedes or Praying Mantis explore their hands and arms, etc.
Beyond the break from city overstimulation and the different from normal mental exercise, there's the spiritual connection that occurs in nature. There's regaining of perspective that occurs in nature. And even at the simplest level, there's the fresh air that you can inhale into your body that occurs out in nature. There's soo many more facets of being out in nature that can play an amazing role in improving your health.
Although we're entering winter, there's plenty of opportunities to get outside. We have plenty of mild weather days throughout the winter. So get out there and reap the benefits of some outdoor time!
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