How Outdoor Recreation Affects You
After participating in outdoor activities, you may notice that you felt better. Health experts emphasized that time spent in outdoor recreation can actually generate a wide range of benefits. These will include strengthening family ties and reducing obesity rates. Regardless of whether you just want to take a walk on a nature trail or perhaps a strenuous hike up a steep mountain trail, keep in mind that outdoor recreation will provide the stage for mental and physical growth.
Benefits of participating in outdoor activities
Physical – You will enjoy many physical health benefits from regular outdoor activities. These will include a reduction in arthritis pain, low blood pressure, weight loss, and lower risks for various diseases such as osteoporosis, certain cancers, and diabetes. Getting 75 minutes of vigorous exercise, such as hiking, or 150 minutes of moderate exercise, such as brisk walking and biking, each week will reduce your risk of chronic disease and help you maintain a healthy weight.
Intellectual – Participating in recreational activities can increase confidence levels, improve creativity and self-esteem. Nature can really help calm and rejuvenate the mind. In addition, it can increase the positive effect and improve the outlook. On the contrary, those that are made artificially can provoke feelings of irritability, impulsiveness, exhaustion and inattention. Spending time outside can also help you focus. Consider taking a walk through natural settings now.
Social – Outdoor recreation can also offer you the opportunity to socialize, which is a very important benefit. Bird watching, for example, is an activity that incorporates many things to do. These include interpreting auditory and visual information, chatting with other bird watchers, and walking. It is also by going outside that you can meet new friends or people with interests similar to yours.
Emotional – It is true that outdoor environments and physical activities can help reduce depression, stress and anxiety. If you spend some of your time exercising in the park, you can definitely have an increase in positive moods, along with a reduction in your cortisol levels. Keep in mind that cortisol is a hormone released by the body if you feel stressed. Also, you can have greater access to green spaces for various activities like walking and other activities that can lower your stress levels.
Participating in different outdoor activities like sports will not only be fun. It can also help you improve your overall health and well-being. So if you have time, go out and take a walk or maybe you are part of a sports team.