Getting Outside is Good for You: Five Benefits
Spring is here and families will spend more time outside dining, playing, relaxing, and gardening as the weather improves. And while they may enjoy being outside, they may not know that getting outside is also good for their health. The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) outlines five health benefits of getting outside:
Reason #1: Your lawn can make you happier! Our stress levels fall within minutes of seeing green spaces. Knowing and experiencing nature makes us generally happier, healthier people.
Reason #2: Getting dirty is good for you! Mycobacterium vaccae in soil mirrors the effect on neurons that Prozac provides. Give your kids a pair of gardening gloves and have them work with you in your green spaces for a hefty dose of Vitamin N(ature) and G(reen). People who spend time gardening and have direct contact with soil feel more relaxed and happier.
Reason #3: Exposure to natural settings may be widely effective in reducing attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in children. Children gain attention and working memory benefits when they are exposed to greenery.
Reason #4: Living landscapes help people and pets be healthier. Playing outdoors increases fitness levels and builds healthy, active bodies. Research also shows that children reap numerous health, social and personal benefits from spending time outside playing.
Reason #5: Your lawn produces lots of oxygen and cleans the air too. Fifty square feet of grass generates enough oxygen each day for a family of four, and reduces the “code red” effect since grass removes pollutants from the air we breathe.
“Our living landscapes not only provide beauty, but are a stress-reliever, a recreational space, a wildlife habitat, and an outdoor living area,” said Kris Kiser, president and CEO, OPEI. “Studies show that our green spaces contribute to our health, happiness and intellect.”
Our outdoor living spaces offer great health benefits to us. Trees, shrubs, grass and flowering plants are integral to human health. They provide a place for children and pets to play and directly contribute to our mental and physical well-being.
For more information please visit www.livinglandscapesmatter.com.
1. Sun exposure increases vitamin D levels in the body and helps optimize hormones.
2. Fresh air has more oxygen in it then inside.
3. Exercising outdoors feelings of well-being and lowers depression.
4. Outdoor greenery raises serotonin levels.
5. In nature you get more sensory stimulation than indoors.
VITAMIN D
According to the Vitamin D Council, the sun is a good source. Vitamin D is also especially important for good overall health and strong and healthy bones. I also helps fight infection by helping your in the muscles, heart, lungs and brain work optimally. According to the Vitamin D Council "a lack of vitamin D has also been linked to some other conditions such as cancer, asthma, type-II diabetes, high blood pressure, depression, Alzheimer’s and autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s and type-I diabetes."
OXYGEN
Outdoors air has more oxygen than the air we breath indoors. Indoors the air can be destroyed by tobacco smoke, city smog fumes, re-circulating air in buildings, improper ventilation, exhaust, and other pollutants. Aqua 4 Balance states that ome of the bad side affects from a lack of fresh air are caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain include, fatigue, drowsiness, dullness of mind and irritability.
DEPRESSION
Nature increases positive thoughts and feelings of well-being and has been shown to reduce depression. Research has shown that exercise is an effective treatment for mild to moderate depression. A current study, published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, followed a similar method to one from 2008 that showed that a one-hour walk in a woodland park improved memory and attention. Web Md states that endorphins that are released during exercise trigger "a positive feeling in the body, similar to that of morphine. For example, the feeling that follows a run or workout is often described as "euphoric." That feeling, known as a "runner's high," can be accompanied by a positive and energizing outlook on life." Regular exercise has been proven in studies to reduce stress, ward off anxiety and feelings of depression, boost self-esteem and improve sleep.
SEROTONIN
Serotonin levels are increased when you exercise outdoors or in green spaces. What is serotonin you ask? According to Australian Lifestyle seratonin is a neurotransmitter that is important in appetite control, sleep and our general metabolism.
SENSORY STIMULATION
The outdoors is constantly changing. You see birds, as you walk terrain changes, people you walk by have different faces, there are sounds and smells. Exercise is beneficial for physical and mental health and sensory stimulation can improve the quality of life for the average person and especially people with mental dementia according to Alzhemers.Org.
Get up, get outside and get active!
Follow Alicia on Twitter
