Our lives are full of stress. Trying to maintain a balance between our work life, social and family commitments can be a challenge. The good news is how connecting with nature and especially exercising outdoors can help you disconnect from stress and recharge your batteries while staying fit.
Exercise is beneficial to health, as, among other things, it helps your brain to release endorphins, which are known to be the “happiness hormones”. Studies show that exercising in nature can help your brain release more endorphins and make you feel happier than exercising indoors.
At the same time, exercising in the open natural environment reduces perceived fatigue levels during the action, which is very important for continuing the effort and not giving up the exercise in a short period of time. In the following text we will look in more detail at some of the benefits of exercise in the natural environment.
- Clears the lungs
Being sedentary and staying indoors all the time is not good for your health. There is a lot of dust in our homes, even if we clean regularly. Fresh air in nature can help you breathe better and clear your lungs, which will automatically improve your mood. This is also important for enhancing cognitive processes, as your brain can get better oxygen.
- Nature is calming
Nature has a calming effect on the body and mind. According to research evidence, just spending time in nature can lower blood pressure and heart rate, slow down our breathing and have a calming effect on our minds. This can also boost our stamina during exercise.
- Clears the mind
When you feel stressed, just being in nature can help you feel better. Before making a big decision, when you feel confused, try taking a nature walk, hiking to the nearest mountain or jogging. This can also help you think more clearly and make better decisions.
- Boosts the energy
Walking or exercising in nature (or even admiring a beautiful sunset), you can immediately feel better. Time in the natural environment can help you have more energy and a better mood.
- Increases the chances of adopting the exercise routine
Exercise in nature is more likely to lead more easily to lifelong adoption of the practice and can be performed in a wide variety of different types of natural environments, such as forests, snowy landscapes, beaches and sandy beaches.
