How getting outside helps your health and wellbeing
Whether sitting in a park or going on a hike, getting outside can benefit our physical and mental health as well as our social lives.
Physical Health
As we all know, exercising is good for our physical health. Getting outside is one of the key ways that we can enjoy ourselves whilst doing this. Some people these days might opt for going to a gym, and we have nothing against that! The outdoors, however, offers a whole range of different environments, terrains, and creatures to explore all the while keeping fit and healthy. Evidence shows that regular exercise can reduce Alzheimer’s disease, type 2 diabetes, and a whole host of other benefits to our bodies.
While getting fitter can also improve our body image although this isn’t to advocate becoming a particular size. Health doesn’t always correlate with the bodies we see in the media so what’s important is an active lifestyle that keeps us healthy – and this is where the outdoors can be key.
As noted in an interview with Professor Chris Lyones, University of Cumbria, it’s also about the quality of exercise we’re getting: “Things like making sure the time you spend out is more active, walk a bit further, explore new territory, visit a new place and do this on bike or on foot. Spend some time connecting with the beings around you, you can stop and notice the patterns on the butterflies and other insects and plants and flowers. Just get out of your head and into the world around you…”
Mental Health
Perhaps more importantly, getting out and about outside can have incredible impacts on our mental health. There is more than enough stress in the world at the moment, meaning that it’s of vital importance we take special care of ourselves and our minds. Luckily, getting outdoors, even just for ten to fifteen minutes, is known to improve our mental health.
Mental health charity Mind dedicates a page of their website educating people on how being in nature can benefit our mental health. The impact can range from improving self-esteem, reducing stress and feelings of anger, reducing loneliness…and so much more!
Within this, you also appreciate nature and the beings around us which can help us have a break from the occasional mental turmoil we all face. In the moments you can spot and explore different parts of the outdoors. Nature can act both as a temporary distraction, and also a grounding method, in reminding us of where we came from and about the whole world that exists out there, that is more than easily forgotten in the modern age of technology, social media, and various crises across the world. This isn’t to say going for a walk will solve all these problems, but that it can greatly improve our ability to cope and ensure we are generally happier.
Therefore, whether it’s a walk in the park, a hike, or just sitting in a green space, there is every reason to seek out nature in order to look after our emotional and mental wellbeing.
Social Life
Human beings are social creatures. Getting outside can be the perfect place to either catch up with friends or make new ones.
If you manage to find an outdoor activity to enjoy with a friend, this can be the perfect opportunity to maintain your connection with that person through this mutual interest. We don’t all need to suddenly become keen hikers with the life goal to do Everest! Catching up with a friend in an outdoor space could simply mean sitting outside doing a Big Butterfly Count together, a stroll around a field, and then for the more adventurous among us…perhaps Everest base camp first!
Plenty of us are introverts, but that’s not to say we cannot benefit from fresh air with a close friend too. As with the physical health benefits of getting outside, it is about the quality. Having fewer closer friends can benefit lots of people that prefer closer connections. Likewise, there are walking and hiking groups across the UK that can be a brilliant way to get outside and meet new like-minded friends. Alternatively, you can always join one of our Butterfly Conservation branches where you’ll meet a dedicated and passionate team to share your passion for butterflies and moths.
In sum, it’s clear getting outside massively helps your health and wellbeing in more ways than one. The next step is trying to make sure everyone has access to greenspaces…but that’s a large topic we’ll tackle in another blog…