Naturally Healthy Benefits Gained Outside
There’s just something about a stroll down your favorite path in the fall when the air is crisp and the sky is bright, laying in the grass on a summer’s day watching the clouds go by or going for a jog on warm spring day. Getting outside and into nature just feels,natural. It’s where you were meant to be and it’s an important aspect of your total health.
You weren’t designed to live indoors 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and be so disconnected from the natural world. Getting reconnected provides health benefits that you miss out on otherwise. Let’s take a look at some of health benefits you gain by getting active outside.
Earth
There is a subtle energy within the earth. It’s the reason you feel good when you walk barefoot in the grass or lie on the beach. When you’re outside and you make a connection to the earth’s energy it positively impacts your health.
Physically connecting to the earth by walking barefoot outside, digging in a garden, crawling, rolling or even laying on the ground allows you to take advantage of this energy which in turn gives you a boost. Beyond the increased energy you’ll feel, you’ll experience a sense of well being and calmness that comes from getting reconnected to the natural world.
Wind
Unfortunately, when you spend time indoors you’re exposed to air that isn’t always as clean as you want it to be. You breathe in dust, smoke, chemicals and other, less than healthy, substances which get trapped in small confined areas like offices, homes and schools.
But there’s good news! Better air quality is waiting right outside. It’s another health benefit you experience when you get active outdoors. Fresh air helps clean out your lungs and lets you begin breathing deeply. As you breathe in more clean air you provide oxygen to your cells, blood and brain helping to increase your energy, improve your performance and sharpen your mental clarity.
Fire
The sun provides heat, light and health! When you expose your skin to the sun your body makes a hormone called vitamin D which is important in the absorbtion of calicum, needed for strong bones and teeth. Vitamin D has also been shown to help prevent and treat a number of serious health concerns.
According to webmd “Research suggests that vitamin D could play a role in the prevention and treatment of a number of different conditions, including type 1 and type 2 diabetes, hypertension, glucose intolerance, and multiple sclerosis.” As with many things in life, it’s possible to get “too much of a good thing” so take the proper precautions and avoid prolonged exposure to the sun. Even as a little as 15 minutes of sun exposure a day can provide a host of health benefits including a better mood, improved sleep, better athletic performance, increased energy levels, weightloss and more.
Conclusion
Reconnecting with nature and getting active outside can increase your energy, sharpen your clarity, improve your stamina and most of all help you feel great! Getting outside also encourages you to be a body in motion. So put down the remote and get outside for a walk, a jog, a roll or just lay down and look up at the sky. You’ll be glad you did.
For more information on how to reconnect with the earth checkout earthing.com
Steve Stearns is an avid outdoorsman and host of the Outside Health and Fitness podcast. He shares practical advice, resources and interviews experts from the world of fitness, nutrition and health. His goal is to help others discover new, fun and effective ways to be naturally fit, healthy and happy.
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