Can Spending Time Outside Improve Your Health?

Exercise is Easier Outdoors

Sure, there are plenty of ways to be physically active indoors, and it’s also possible to be inactive outdoors. But as a general rule, it’s easier to get exercise outdoors. This is especially true for kids, who are less likely than adults to make use of indoor exercise equipment, like treadmills and spin machines, that adults use to get exercise in a controlled environment.

Why is the outdoors more conducive to exercise? For one thing, there’s plenty of room to move around, and lots of typical outdoor activities require movement. But it’s not just that. You may simply feel more inspired to exercise when you’re outdoors. Researchers have found that the color green helps make exercise easier in much the same way that red and yellow subconsciously trigger hunger. You can find plenty of green outdoors in the plants, trees, and grass.

Nature Can Boost The Immune System

Family camping trips are good for your health.

The outdoors, particularly forested areas, may hold one of the keys to reducing the incidence of illnesses. There is evidence that suggests that spending time in the forest causes your body’s cells to boost the production of anti-cancer proteins. In much the same way, your can also provide an immune system boost that can help protect against a range of other illnesses, like colds and the flu.

That means that spending the weekend exploring a national park, hiking nature trails, or bird watching may be more than just a way for the family to spend time together. It’s also a way to help everybody stay a little healthier even after the weekend is over.

Spending Time Outside May Improve School Performance

There have been a variety of studies exploring the different ways that nature affects the brain and mind. Research and testing have demonstrated that spending time outdoors improves short-term memory, concentration, and focus. People also tend to think more creatively and experience less stress and mental fatigue after spending time outdoors.

Kids need a sharp memory, the ability to concentrate and focus, and a creative mind to succeed in school. Stress and fatigue can hamper their performance. And since outdoor recesses are rapidly being cut or eliminated in schools, a parent can provide their child with a helpful performance boost just by telling them to go outside and play.

Parental control apps can help you set limits on your children’s screen time and encourage them to spend some of their time exploring the outdoors instead of the internet. To find out how our parental control app works, try it for free.