Many of us grew up with parents who encouraged us, on a regular basis, to get outside for some fresh air. Our parents weren’t just trying to get rid of us. (Well… maybe sometimes.) They were actually doing their best to promote our health and wellbeing. And as it turns out, they were right.
There are a number of well-documented health benefits to spending time in the great outdoors, soaking up the sun and inhaling crisp air.
Consider just a few of the ways in which being outside can boost your physical health and your emotional wellbeing.
How Being Outside Makes You Healthier
1) It helps you breathe better.
We often associate the outdoors with pollen, smog, or other airborne pollutants. All of that’s accurate, but it may surprise you to know that the concentration of pollutants is usually a lot higher inside. As such, spending some time outside can actually help you breathe deeply of clean, fresh air. This is especially true if you go to an area with greater air circulation; head out of the city and toward the mountains or the lake.
2) It improves the quality of your sleep.
Your body is naturally wired to align with the sun. We’re meant to be awake when the sun is shining, and asleep once it gets dark. The proliferation of artificial and electric lights, particularly the ones emitted by your phone or tablet, can throw off those natural rhythms, thus misaligning our sleep cycle. But spending time outside in the sun can help you feel more tired at night, making it easier for you to fall asleep.
3) It can elevate your mood.
Spending time in the sun can help alleviate symptoms of depression, boosting your mood and your sense of wellbeing. This shouldn’t come as a shock: After all, light therapy is one of the go-to methods for treating symptoms of depression. Scientists actually aren’t totally sure of why light is so helpful for easing depression; it may have something to do with Vitamin D production, or with improved sleep. Whatever the reason, it’s always good for you to spend time soaking up rays.
4) It gets you moving.
When you spend all your time inside, hunched over a desk or glued to some kind of a screen, it’s pretty easy to sink into a sedentary lifestyle. Going outside can be an incentive to move around, boosting your blood circulation and expending some calories. Also note that being outside can be a really nice break from the gym.
5) It boosts your immune system.
There’s a lot of research to suggest that being outside can improve the functioning of your immune system, making it less likely that you’ll contract infectious diseases like COVID or the flu. Part of this is because microorganisms you’ll encounter outside are much more diluted than the ones you’ll encounter in an enclosed space. And the microorganisms you do encounter outside can effectively provide “practice drills” for your immune system, strengthening it without necessarily making you ill.
6) It offers mental restoration.
The world can be an overwhelming place, especially when we subject ourselves to an onslaught of bad news via our phones and social media profiles. This can really take a toll on your mental wellbeing, heightening your depression and anxiety. Getting out into nature, and away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, can have a restorative effect.
7) It improves your emotional wellbeing.
Finally, spending time outside can be a powerful way to promote emotional wellbeing. For example, if you go outside at night to look at the stars in the sky, it can cultivate a healthy sense of wonder. And meditating in the woods or in an open field can open you up to new, spiritual connections with the world around you.
Embrace Wellness
Spending time outside can be a great way to bolster your physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing. And using CBD can potentially heighten the experience. That’s something we’re passionate about here at Asé Pure Naturals.
We offer a full inventory of natural, holistic, vegan, cruelty-free, non-GMO CBD products, all made in the USA. Explore the shop for some personal wellness options today.
