Everyone needs time outdoors. Getting fresh air, feeling the peace and tranquility of nature around you, and getting much-needed exercise are essential for physical and psychological well-being.

If you're not familiar with all of the benefits that the outdoors can give you, keep reading. Even small periods of time out in nature can bring remarkable benefits.

Physical benefits of being outdoors

Getting even moderate amounts of exercise while outdoors can provide innumerable benefits. These include:

  • Heart benefits. Your heart needs exercise to keep it healthy. When you move around and breathe the fresh air of the outdoors, you lower your blood pressure, help prevent heart disease, and generally improve your cardiovascular health. The more time you spend in nature, the more these functions improve.
  • Stronger immune system. There are a lot of microorganisms out in nature that can benefit your immune system. Being out among them will give you the exposure you need to maintain your strength. Whether it be hiking or riding around in folding kayaks, your system will benefit. You will also get much-needed exposure to Vitamin D.
  • Inflammation reduction. As we will discuss below, being out in nature improves your mood. This, in turn, helps your body reduce inflammation caused by stress. It is important to give yourself this balance to keep your body in a healthy state.
  • Physical strength and flexibility. Getting outdoor exercise can give you physical strength and help improve your flexibility. While exercising indoors also provides benefits, you become more motivated by an activity like hiking because every step provides you with a new view. People often lose track of time when they are outside as nature has a way of taking the lead and becoming a personal guide.

Psychological benefits of being outdoors

There are also innumerable psychological benefits that you can gain from being and exercising outdoors. These include:

  • Lower stress levels. As mentioned above, stress can cause a whole host of problems in your life. The stress caused by job-related or personal problems can escalate easily, causing you to lose focus, spend inordinate amounts of time worrying rather than enjoying life can cause your emotions to spin out of control (in addition to harming your physical health).
  • Mood enhancement. Not only does being outdoors help reduce stress, it helps elevate your mood significantly. This not only enables you to concentrate better, but your creative juices start flowing, you have a positive effect on the people around you, and you feel more comfortable in your overall environment. Psychologists believe that outdoor exposure can also help reduce problems associated with things like PTSD and ADHD.
  • Improved sleep habits. It is impossible to overstate the importance of proper sleep habits to mental and physical health. Lack of sleep can cause you to become irritable, have problems with your memory, and lose focus when performing tasks. It can also throw off your circadian rhythm, which is essential for maintaining regular sleep habits. Being outside can help promote better sleep.
  • Inspiration and creativity. As mentioned above, when you are exposed to nature, your creative juices start flowing. You start coming up with new ideas, you gain motivation to try new things, and your optimism about life in general goes up. Regardless of whether you are involved in creative work, this is beneficial for life in general.

How can you get more outdoor time?

The issue for many people in being outdoors is lack of time. Particularly if you live in a dense urban area, finding time to get back to nature might seem like an unnecessary burden.

It absolutely isn’t. There are several things that you can do on a regular basis to give yourself at least some exposure to the outdoors, even if you have a busy schedule. This includes:

  • Taking walks. Even 20-minute walks through a local park can be beneficial for your health. With improvements in technology, many people can even get work done on their phones or by listening to podcasts outside.
  • Trying different activities. Regardless of your age, you can always try new things. This can be good for you physically, in using muscle groups that you don’t normally use. And it can also have mental benefits as new activities help keep your mind fresh and flexible. One need only look at the global pickleball phenomenon as proof.
  • Doing yoga. The stigma of doing yoga or meditating outside has been lifted in many parts of the world. Even simple exercises can help you get more in touch with nature.

Get started now

The sooner you start making outdoor time part of your regular routine, the better you will feel and the more habitualized outdoor activity will become for you. If you’re really stuck in a routine of staying inside all day, start small. Go on just a short walk and designate the time as a break between other activities. You will likely feel refreshed at the end, mentally stimulated, and better prepared for your next task. Then you can start scheduling outdoor time into your schedule. Your body and mind will thank you in the end.