Spending Time Outdoors Will Improve Your Health In 9 Fascinating Ways

All of us could benefit from going outside every day.

Much like how meditation can do incredible things to our bodies, like boost your immune system and help alleviate allergy symptoms, going outside can have phenomenal effects on our health.

In addition to decreasing stress levels, being immersed in nature will help you adopt a positive mood and an elevated state of mind.

1. Strengthens Mental Health

A study from the University of Michigan showed that walking outside is strongly linked to lowered depression and stress levels.

2. Reduces Stress

According to studies done by Happify, our bodies produce lower levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, thereby promoting a healthier state of mind.

3. Increases Memory And Attention Span

Studies have shown that spending time outdoors can help strengthen our ability to concentrate.

4. Increases Vitamin D Intake

Interestingly, vitamin D can be hard to absorb from just eating food. In fact, we apparently get 80 to 90 percent of our vitamin D from actually soaking it from the sun, says Dr. Michael F. Holick, M.D.

5. You'll Age More Gracefully

Studies published in the Journal of Aging and Health showed that spending time outdoors every day can help older people function better in their lives.

6. Strengthens Immunity

Researches at Nippon Medical School in Tokyo, Japan, found that women who had spent at least three hours outdoors every day saw an increase in the level of their white blood cells, which help fight viruses and diseases.

7. Improves Eye Health

People who suffer from Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS), a problem caused by staring at the screen for long periods of time, may find that spending time outdoors can alleviate their blurred and double vision, red eyes, and headaches.

8. Improves Quality Of Sleep

Spending too much time indoors can greatly affect our natural rhythms, and, as a result, disrupt our sleep patterns. That’s why routine exposure to sunlight in the mornings will help correct your sleep cycle.

9. Improves Self-Esteem

In addition to lifting our moods and helping us feel positive, going outside, or getting some “green exercise,” can lead to tangible improvements in self-esteem. 

Read the full article by Angel Chang courtesy of Little Things here