There are endless benefits to spending more time outdoors, no matter what your age is. These include positive effects on both your mental and physical health, as well as an increased appreciation for life and the outdoors. If you aren’t someone that currently spends a lot of time outdoors, you are not alone. The majority of people have office jobs so cannot go outside as much as they would ideally like. Once you have got into the habit of living predominantly indoors, you often just stick to this and don’t venture outside as a result. Here are some ways you can spend more time outdoors.
Take Up a New Outdoor Sport
Firstly, you could take up a new outdoor sport. Even if you can’t do any exotic activities such as intense watersports or skiing, there are sports that you can take up which won’t take long to travel to. An example of this is golf — there are so many golf courses in the US so, no matter which state you are based in, you shouldn’t have to travel too far to get to one. Golf is a good outdoor activity to take up when you are starting out too since it isn’t too intense and doesn’t make you feel so fatigued or sweaty in the same way other activities can. Rather, it is a pretty relaxing activity, which is great for anyone of any fitness level. Once you get better and start buying your own equipment, here are some things you can buy for customizing your golf cart to make you feel like a pro.
Look Up Some Good Local Walks
Walking is something accessible to everyone, but a lot of people don’t actually do much walking as a hobby unless they have a dog. Walking is such a great stress reliever, so if you don’t incorporate at least a few walks into your weekly routine, you really are missing out. Some people are not lucky enough to have a good outdoor walking space on their doorstep but, if you search up some nice walking routes in your area, there is bound to be something. This could be a park, a circular route around your town or city, or even a walk along the beach if you are lucky enough to live near the coast. If you even just go on a 15 or 20 minute walk a couple of times per week, you will learn to appreciate the fresh air and good mental attitude that it will help stimulate.
Go On Morning Runs or Cycles
A morning run or cycle is a good way of appreciating the outdoors and getting more activity in if you prefer a slightly higher intensity of exercise. When you cycle or run, often it is not so much about the scenery but more about the exercise itself, so it doesn’t matter so much if you are going on a route which isn’t quite as pretty. You will also burn a lot more calories by cycling or running as it is more of a workout. Therefore, if you are quite conscious of your weight or diet, why not give yourself a little bit of reassurance by doing something healthy for your heart and body? Like walking, both of these activities are good for your mental health, as you will be focusing intensely on your breathing and watching your surroundings that it’ll take your mind off anything you may be feeling anxious about.
Make Sure Your Social Activities Are Outside
When meeting up with your friends, try and schedule something that is outside so you are spending more time outdoors. Instead of going for a coffee inside a café, if the weather is nice, why not get a takeout coffee and sit on a park bench? Or, instead of them coming over to your house, invite them out for a walk. Getting into habits like this will make you a much healthier and happier person — being amongst nature can feel really peaceful and healing. If you are driving to meet someone, consider walking there instead or going on your bike — not only will you be helping the environment, you will also spend much less gas money. Particularly now that the sun is out and summer is here, you should take advantage of the good weather.
Funnily enough, it is often the people who do not spend much time outdoors who claim to not enjoy being outside. The more time you spend outside of your house — even if you are just in your garden — the more you will come to appreciate nature. Set yourself a target of having a minimum of 30 minutes outside each day appreciating nature – but ideally an hour – and spend it however you wish.
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