Health Benefits From Being Outdoors

Now that the weather’s warming up, it’s much more enticing for people to spend time outdoors. You simply can’t beat some great Vitamin D, green grass, and chirping birds. Unfortunately, many of us still spend too much time indoors—adults and children alike—during spring and summer because that is just the way society has shifted the last 20 years. And this shift has unfortunately had a major negative influence on the overall health of the country. People are sicker, more overweight and obese, and more depressed than ever before.

It’s time to go back to yesteryears and play, frolic, and delight in the good ol’ outdoors. And what better way to enjoy being outside than taking a vacation where you choose to invest the majority of your time outside? Everyone wants to travel and explore new places—you might as well nix the idea of staying inside on your vacation, and get some fresh air instead. You’ll be doing your body, mind, and spirit a whole lot of good when you do. So what do you say? Shall we hit the road? Here are three health benefits for vacationing outdoors.

Health Benefit #1: Physical Exercise

Simply by being outside, people tend to get more exercise than when they are inside. This is because they are more active. Whether it’s playing volleyball on the sandy beach, hiking a windy trail, or speed walking to the next antique store on the busy street, physical activity is easy to get and fun to do on a vacation. By participating in exercise, adults and children will increase their overall fitness levels. Also, the Vitamin D from the sunlight can aid in bone strength, heart health, and other issues.

Health Benefit #2: Mental Clarity

Not much research has been done in the way of adults, but there it has been shown that children who suffer from ADHD can have a reduction in symptoms when they are outside in natural settings. But it certainly won’t hurt adults who also endure from concentration issues to give it a whirl, too. Relaxing on an outdoor patio or sunbathing next to the hotel swimming pool just might improve your focus.

Health Benefit #3: Happiness

Who doesn’t want to smile more? Spending time outdoors will most likely improve levels of depression of most people. Light tends to put people in a better mood, and there is obviously more light outside than inside. It has been shown that people who take time to be in nature are kinder, have better social interaction with others, and relationships are strengthened, too. Children’s stress levels will also decrease once they spend time outdoors.

We hope this article gave you some insights into the wonderful benefits that can come from spending more time outdoors. We encourage you to spend just a little more time than you did yesterday outside. And  if that’s just five minutes, so be it. The benefits are definitely worth it. And while you’re out there, take your laptop with you and book a vacation, too!