The demands of work, school and everyday life keep us tethered to screens including the one you’re reading this on. There are endless reasons to get outside and enjoy nature but today, we’ll focus on the physical, and mental wellness benefits of getting outdoors. 

Physical Wellness

Being outside and active in nature can improve your physical health in a number of ways. Specifically, it can improve your breathing, sleep quality, immune health and even make it easier for you to exercise. 

Better Sleep

The circadian rhythm or your body’s sleep clock is meant to follow the sunrise and sunset making you wake as it rises and want to sleep shortly after it sets. As a result of modern lifestyles, we often aren’t exposed to enough sunlight and our circadian rhythm gets thrown off. 

We’re exposed to artificial light while indoors, but it’s 200 times less intense than sunlight. So going outdoors and getting the real deal can help to get your body back in closer sync with the sun helping to improve your sleep. Specifically, it should help you feel more tired at night, fall asleep more easily and achieve deeper sleep. 

Better Exercise Motivation

Exercise is basically synonymous with the gym but there are a couple of reasons why going outside to be active is even better and can help you maintain your motivation for a better workout. 

Generally, people who exercise outside feel that it’s not as monotonous and repetitive as a gym workout. Just think how it feels to go for a walk or a run outside vs putting in time on a treadmill. While you’re enjoying some scenery and enjoying your walk, run or calisthenics session, a treadmill session is often just a countdown to a number as you stare at a wall or at best yet another screen. 

Another reason outdoor exercise can ease things along is that you have room to be free, socialize and do things at your own pace. In a gym, there is specific etiquette about talking, using equipment and other things that can make the situation more tense and leave you just rushing through it or leaving early. 

It’s worth mentioning that people can benefit from any level of outdoor activity, not just high-intensity cardio or calisthenics. Walking your dog, a brisk walk, gardening or yard work are all still beneficial. 

Improved Immune Health

Many people don’t get outside enough once it starts getting cold out but this is actually the time when you need to get out the most. Not only because it’s when people tend to put on a bit of weight but because getting outside can improve your immune health. 

One reason is that the increased sun exposure helps with Vitamin D production but going outside also exposes you to plant particles known as phytoncides that help with immune function. Interestingly sun exposure also seems to augment the activity of immune cells known as T cells. 

[READ: Healthy Ways to Boost Your Immune System]

Better Respiratory Health

It’s nice to be inside where things are clean and comfy. But it might be startling to find out the air quality indoors is often 2-5 times worse than it is outdoors. Air contaminants can often trigger allergies, asthma or cause more shallow breathing. 

Studies aren’t conclusive on a causal relationship but they have found that deaths from respiratory diseases are lower in areas with more green space. Similar studies have also found that people who live in urban areas with more green space are at a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, asthma and diabetes. 

Getting outside and being active creates the conditions by which you’ll be breathing less contaminated air, and breathe deeper as you move along contributing to better respiratory health. 

Mental Wellness

Going outdoors and enjoying nature isn’t just about our physical health. It provides a number of benefits for our emotional well-being and cognitive performance. 

Reduced Depression

The causal relationship isn’t clear but exposure to light, especially sunlight generally helps to decrease depression symptoms. Some theorize that the Vitamin D your body produces when exposed to sunlight may have antidepressant effects. Others think that perhaps the light exposure is helping to improve sleep which can also have antidepressant effects. 

In the winter months, people often turn to special lamps or light therapy devices. At other times of the year, you might be able to get your light fix by going for a walk during your lunch break or figuring out ways to do regular activities outside instead like reading, drinking coffee or of course your daily exercise. 

Reduced Stress

According to the American Psychological Association, about 72% of adults have reported health impacts from stress. These negative impacts include headaches, anxiety, and fatigue. 

There are many ways to de-stress but one of the most beneficial is simply going into nature. One study on the matter found as little as 20-30 minutes decreased cortisol (the stress hormone) levels. 

[READ: Mental Health Days: When They're Needed and How to Take One Effectively]

Mental Performance

If you’re facing writer’s block or any similar issue just getting something done. Take a break and go outside. Being out in nature can help to boost your creativity and problem-solving abilities. Going outside also takes a lot of the mental load off that we normally face throughout the day sitting in front of multiple devices and screens. The result is that it promotes feelings of calm and can help us concentrate and focus more effectively.  

Bottom Line

With all of these benefits, it’s clear that going to the gym is certainly beneficial but even moderate outdoor activities provide numerous physical and even mental health benefits.