Go outside and Discover the Benefits of Nature on Your Health

“The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness.” – John Muir

My whole life I’ve been active and loved the outdoors, that is until the last few years where I’ve become more sedentary. This is especially true since I quit my job almost two years ago. What changed? Well, for starters I created this website and I sit in front of the computer for at least 3 hours a day. Then the restrictions of the pandemic somewhat forced us inside. This makes it easier to stay home since there isn’t much going on in the first place. 

This creates a cycle of passing days with no real direction or progress towards your goals. Who do we have to impress anyway? We sleep late, don’t go outside at all, eat whatever we want, and go to bed. Rinse and repeat, like a never-ending groundhog day. I’m sure you can relate.

The thing is, lately I’ve felt unhappier and more disconnected because of it. I realized that I’ve been putting on a little extra weight and getting into some unhealthy habits. Not to mention my health goals were flying completely out the window. Something had to change. What was I missing?

Enter, Nature.

“Look deep into nature and you will understand everything better.” – Albert Einstein

Our disconnect from nature

Nature is in our DNA, to be outside is to be human. For 200,000 years, humans relied on hunting and gathering, living in unison and as one with nature. That all changed about 10,000 years ago when farming began. Farming allowed us to produce more food than we could eat, which helped us feed ourselves for longer. Our time freed up to focus on things like music, science, and art.

This is where we began to rely less on nature and see ourselves as separate from it.

The funny thing is that in the grand scheme of the history of the universe, 10,000 years ago was not that long ago. Up until 1950 most people still lived in rural areas. Since then, those numbers have decreased. By the year 2050, roughly 70% of the world’s population will be living in an urban area. Is anyone else having visions of Ready Player One?

Urban areas are awesome, I love to explore them. The food, the sights, the people, and the sounds are a delight to the senses. The thing is, they’re filled with concrete and buildings, often the only nature you see is a tree in a grate. They are also filled with people in a hurry, a quick pace of life, and tangible energy. You are always turned up and on.

How much time do we spend Indoors?

Did you know the average American spends 90% of their time indoors, whether in some type of building or a vehicle? This means that we only spend 10% of our life outside. Imagine for a minute that you could only eat 10% of a pizza and that was all you could have the whole day. I would be hangry, what about you?

It seems our lack of nature time is making us nangry! Yes, it’s a made-up word, but rather fitting.

I’m sure your time indoors has increased even since you were a little kid. I remember my mom having to drag us inside every night, you could not get me to stay inside all day. One summer I even pitched a tent in the backyard and only came in to use the bathroom and eat.

But we need shelter, right?

Now we all know that shelter is a basic human need and without it, we would be very uncomfortable. Like food, too much of anything can be harmful. Staying inside all day fosters feeling such as anxiety, insomnia, and unease to name a few.

How do you know you’re spending too much time inside?

The list is long and of course, can attribute to many things. Yet it is wise to look at the amount of time you spend inside and see if anything correlates. If you relate to this list you may be spending too much time indoors and the time has come to get outside.

• Anxiety and restlessness
• Feelings of social isolation
• Fatigue
  
• Insomnia
• Low Vitamin D
  
• Sleeping too much
  
• Joint pain
  
• Moodiness
  
• Low immunity
  
• Changes in appetite
  
• Bone & muscle weakness
  
• Back issues
  

How does staying inside cause these symptoms?

Most of these symptoms have to do with not getting enough sunlight. This throws off our circadian rhythm. Circadian rhythm refers to our body’s natural clock that responds to light and dark (day and night). During the day when exposed to sunlight, we stay awake. As it gets dark this tells our brain to produce melatonin for better sleep. If we are not exposed to the outdoors and the sun, our whole system becomes thrown off. Sleep problems begin to arise.

It is difficult to provide your body with enough Vitamin D, without sun exposure. There are supplements you can take, but, the best way to get your vitamin D is from going outside. When we go out in the sun our body begins increasing our serotonin levels, which in turn make us happy.

Feeling under the weather? You need more vitamin D to build a healthy immune system. The sun is your best medicine. Sun exposure improves your immune system and reduces inflammation. You see, it’s all about the sun.

Our circadian rhythm can also affect our appetites. Because our lives have become more sedentary, we may feel hungrier or have no appetite at all. This lifestyle can lead to weight issues that can lead to depression. In turn, a whole slew of other health problems.

Another thing to consider is that sitting puts stress on your muscles. The muscles of your neck, back, and spine to be exact. If you slouch, the stress increases. As I’m writing this, I’m checking my posture and realizing there is room for improvement. My neck and back are aching.

How will I benefit from more time in nature?

• You’ll be happier- Try it, go outside for at least 5 minutes and see how you feel, I guarantee you will feel more positive.
  
• You’ll get an energy boost- Yesterday my mom said when she goes on her walks, she feels energized. Having more energy then leads to more activity. Everybody wins!
  
• You’ll be able to better fight off illness- Remember, Vitamin D is great for immune support.
  
• You’ll have more focus, mental clarity, better concentration, and creativity. This will make you better at your work and play.
  
• Your inflammation will go down and along with it, pain.
  
• Your memory will improve
  
• Stress decreases- Being outside affects us in similar ways as meditation. Our heart rate lowers along with our blood pressure.
  
• You will take back control of your life- You will no longer think the solution is beyond your grasp. You have the power to change your life, one simple step at a time.
  
• You will foster a connection to the living world- We are all connected. “We humans look rather different from a tree. Without a doubt, we perceive the world differently than a tree does. But down deep, at the molecular heart of life, the trees and we are essentially identical.” ― Carl Sagan, Cosmos
• Vitality enhances
• You can meet like-minded people- This can help with feelings of social isolation. Even if you don’t make a new friend, you are socializing with people.
• As you can see, there are many health benefits to nature. If you want to feel better, don’t take my word for it, go outside!

I don’t have enough time to go outside

Let me be honest with you, this is an excuse and you know it. We use time as an excuse to not do the things that will make us feel better, the things we want to do. I’m as guilty as the next person. But if it’s important to us, we must make time for it.

How about hitting that snooze button in the morning, do you have time for that? No! When we hit snooze, we are procrastinating and this creates anxiety. Anxiety creates stress and we spend the entire day full throttle.

If you get out of bed instead and go outside for at least 5 minutes, you will see significant changes in your life. By taking care of yourself first, you are setting an intention for the entire day. You are saying to the world “I am important”.

It’s too cold, too wet, too hot, too… to go outside

You know what I’m going to say. These are excuses. Our body is remarkable and can adjust to anything. Last year, my wife and I took a trip to Quebec and we witnessed a group of runners, jogging at night, in single-digit temperatures. There was also snow on the ground. It was inspiring!

Contrary to popular belief, being outside in the cold, will not make you sick. Bacteria makes you sick. You might get a runny nose, but that’s your body’s natural way of expelling bacteria. Being outside in the cold can also help you fight those winter blues.

Ways to spend at least 15-20 minutes a day outside

It is important to spend some time outside every day. 15- 20 minutes of outdoor time can do wonders for you. Nature calms the mind and improves physical health. If you don’t have 15-20 minutes a day, start with 5 and you will start to see tremendous benefits. I guarantee once you get used to 5 minutes, you will find ways to create more time for a nature practice.

Here are some simple ways to get you started:

• Read a book outside.
• Take your lunch break outside.
• Take a daily walk- We started taking walks on the birding and wildlife trails in our area. It gives us a chance to discover places we didn’t know existed.
• Walk your dog- If you don’t have a dog, consider adopting one. This is a win-win for you and the dog.
• Start a garden in your backyard- This can be a vegetable or flower garden. They both have great benefits.
• Eat any meal outside you wish- If you go out to eat, ask for a table outside.
• Hike, bike, snowboard, ski, do yoga, or any other activity you can take outside.
• If you’re working from home, take your work outside.
• Drink your coffee outside.
• Camp in your backyard.
• Sit on your porch- We used to do this all the time when I was little.
• Watch the sunrise or sunset.
• Stargaze- Yes, even getting outside at night is beneficial to your health. Check out these stargazing tools to discover the world above us.
• Exercise outside- If you’re like me, the gym is not your thing. I’ve recently taken up running, something I never thought I’d do. Running on a track or treadmill was always boring to me. But now that I’ve been running on trails, I have a new perspective. I love it! Exercise has many health benefits including mental and physical effects. Combine that with doing it outside and the effects are through the roof!

For more ideas, read REI’s guide to spending more time outside.

What do I need to know before heading outside?

It’s important to pay attention to the weather forecast before going outside. This is not to keep you inside, but to prepare you for what you might encounter. You can look at the weather app on your phone or I like The National Weather Service site. This will help you to stay abreast of any storms.

To keep yourself comfortable it is a good idea to bring plenty of water, the amount of water will vary by activity. I remember about 13 years ago my wife and I went on a hike in the Blue Ridge Mountains. It was a rock scramble and consisted of about 7 miles. We had nary a drop of water between the two of us. Some well-prepared hikers were looking out for us and gave us each a bottle of water. We never made that mistake make again and now carry hydration packs. But you grow wiser with experience.

If you are going out in winter, which I encourage, you must take precautions and plan a bit ahead. It is good to dress in layers and to pack some extra just in case. You can always shed layers as your body adapts. REI has a great article on how to layer. If you are going hiking alone, make sure you tell someone where you are going and have a detailed map. Okay, now I sound like my mother. You get the drift, be smart, go outside, and have fun!

What I’ve learned

I love being outside in nature, it is where I’m closest to something bigger than myself. I’ve often said, “nature is my church.” We were born for the outdoors and it is where we will heal. Yes, modern-day comforts are wonderful. But they could never replace what’s true to our spirits, what’s written in our DNA. To be in nature is to be free because out there you and the life on this earth are the only things that matter.

It is my goal to create a healthy and active lifestyle, to live my life surrounded by that which I love. It is our duty to ourselves to feel good every day, to always reach for a feeling that feels better than the last.

We are not meant to live behind walls and screens. I’ve spent enough of my life indoors and it’s time to go outside, to create a life I can’t wait to get up for!

We hope this inspires you to go outside! We’d love to hear all the ways you spend time in nature.