The great outdoors……….. Some people love to be out in all seasons; come rain or shine. There is always something to do outdoors and many benefits to be had from it. Other people prefer the warm weather, a nice bit of sunshine and comfortable conditions to do their outdoor pursuits.
Whichever category you fall into, there are plenty of reasons to get outside and enjoy your surroundings. In terms of adopting a healthy lifestyle – the great outdoors has a lot to offer from being good for your mental health, to staying fit and impacting your physical health.
Benefits of outdoor activity on a healthy lifestyle
Physical benefits
Many outdoor activities from walking to watersports can help improve your fitness. One example that has gained traction in the past few years is; ‘forest bathing’.
This is accessible for many as it doesn’t even require walking for exercise, it is focused on wellbeing. By focusing on the natural world around you, using your senses to appreciate where you are. This is believed to reduce stress hormones, lower heart rate and blood pressure and boost the immune system (Li 2022).
Numerous other outdoor pursuits can produce similar positive physical health results. Depending on what activities are practical for you; walking, jogging, cycling, climbing, watersports, hiking, bouldering, the list really is endless. All these outdoor activities have been shown in numerous studies to have multiple physical health benefits. Whether this be; improved heart health, lower blood pressure, improved respiratory function, increased strength or improved body composition.
Sleep
Simply put, your sleep will improve! When we do physical activity outdoors, endorphins are released, making us feel good. In addition to this, serotonin and dopamine are released, these neurotransmitters help us feel calm and relaxed to drift off to sleep easier.
Also after a good amount of exercise, or day outside you are usually ready to hit the hay. When we are tired, we spend more time in the deep sleep phase of sleep. This stage allows the body to recover, repair body tissues, build muscle and strengthen the immune system.
The calming effect of the picturesque natural outdoors can relax the body and boost our mood. We will then fall asleep faster and for longer to allow the body to restore.
Most significantly and one you may have heard of, outdoor exercise exposes us to natural sunlight. This is essential for regulating our internal clock which affects our sleep. Melatonin, the enzyme that increases at night to help us sleep, can work as it should. Our natural sleep/wake cycle means we are alert and able to concentrate in the day and sleep at night the 7-9 hours we need.
Increase in Vitamin D
Getting outside allows the ultraviolet rays from the sun to stimulate the production of vitamin D. Vitamin D is vital for the body, it helps regulate calcium and phosphate in the body, these are needed to keep bones and muscles strong and healthy.
Vitamin D is very important, it can affect the development of certain chronic diseases including; cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Vitamin D has also been linked to better weight management with obese individuals having a more dilute serum level. In terms of psychological wellbeing, mood can be improved as well as a decrease in depression symptoms.
The amount of time needed outdoors is also minimal in the grand scheme of things. The time is dependent on skin tone and time of the year, however daily sunlight exposure of 10-15 minutes for lighter skin types and 25-40 minutes darker skin types is generally considered a good range. Remember to take into account sun exposure and avoid sunburn.
Disconnecting from sedentary technology
Today our jobs and our lives can revolve around technology. Even if our profession is not in technology, we are constantly surrounded by the need to use tech from morning until night. Getting outdoors and away from screens; laptops, computers, televisions, tablets, games consoles and so on can do wonders for our health. We can appreciate the world around us without getting distracted and really take notice, which is one of the 5 areas of mental wellbeing.
To really be present in the moment can have such a positive effect on your psychological health. Without the distractions of emails, notifications and social media, we can focus on the natural wonders around us through our senses.
Although tech can certainly make our lives easier and is imperative sometimes, spending too much time without a break is negative on our health. Spending time in nature has been shown to reduce stress levels and bring calm by lowering cortisol, blood pressure and heart rate (Mind).
Also, as we discussed earlier, the link to better sleep is paramount. The blue light from screen time in an evening can disrupt sleep patterns. This is supported by numerous studies that have shown reducing your screen time in an evening can prepare the body to sleep in the regular circadian rhythm.
So there we have it, technology can be amazing, but we all need a break from it sometimes. Whether you unplug from tech for a weekend camping or even unplug for a few hours and get out in nature, the impact on your health will be positive.
The great outdoors…………..
So we have looked at the benefits of getting out and exercising or doing some activity outdoors. There are the many physical benefits we have discussed including; reduced BP, reduced HR, increased vitamin D, better sleep and a boost to our immune system.
There are also many psychological benefits; improved mood, reduced stress, better awareness and feeling calm. Both the physical and psychological benefits are so imperative for everyone in this modern technological world we live in.
So take a look at your time, stand back and really look. Is there times you could get outside, with or without a friend, with or without technology and really take notice of the beauty that is around us. Not only will you get the benefits to your health and wellbeing we talked about, but you get to appreciate the beauty that is our world.
References
Li, Q. (2022). Effects of forest environment (Shinrin-yoku/forest bathing) on health promotion and disease prevention – the Establishment of Forest Medicine. Environmental Health. Vol 27 pp43.
Mind (2025). Nature and Mental Health.
