While there are many great mental benefits to being outdoors there are also some excellent benefits on a physical level. One of the most important benefits of being outdoors is being exposed to the sun. Of course, there can be detrimental effects to too much sun exposure so the right balance is critically important.
Those that spend a lot of time outdoors often find that their vitamin D level rises in their body. As the sun hits the skin it is transposed into vitamin D for the body to use. Vitamin D is critically important for fighting many potentially serious conditions such as osteoporosis, some types of cancer, as well as depression, and heart attacks.
It is a natural tendency for anyone that is outdoors to become more active. Individuals that normally don’t do a lot of walking tend to do some walking when they are outdoors even if it’s just in the backyard walking through the garden.
The atmosphere of the outdoors has a tendency to change people’s moods for the better. Almost any person can do some form of activity when outdoors because they are not as restricted as they are when they are inside.
While we all know that physical activity is good for the body it also helps people to relax and feel cheery. There have been studies that show that children who spend more time outdoors are not at as much risk for childhood obesity. This is becoming a real issue for children nowadays because of their tendency to remain indoors playing more video games. When outdoors there is a tendency to do more exploring and this, in turn, keeps everyone moving more.
While a lot of sports are conducted indoors there are still many sports that are more suited for outdoors and these are the ones that that should be encouraged for the kids.
Using the outdoors can become a family event and camping is one that is really ideal for providing all of the benefits that the outdoors has to offer. It allows the entire family to experience nature and get away from the world of technology for just a little bit of time. While technology is great it certainly can have its effects on the mental and physical well-being of any individual because it becomes something that is taken for granted and perhaps overused.
Being outdoors and participating in some form of activity helps to increase the physical strength and health of the body without a lot of mental effort or dedication being put into it. While the kids may not have a tendency to enjoy the outdoors on their own and the same can be said about the seniors, the family can make a point to arrange activities that take place outdoors so both the physical and mental benefits can be enjoyed.