Spending enough time outdoors can be difficult, especially during the COLDER months.
It’s easy to let a chill in the air, lifestyle commitments and a 9 to 5 stop you from spending time around nature – but we’re here to remind you why making an effort to get outside is so important.
From reducing muscle tension to boosting creativity, working and playing in the great outdoors has countless benefits for your mind and body. Alfresco adventures are also a great way to enjoy time with family and friends.
So here are five ways that getting outside more helps to boost your health and happiness.
REDUCE CORTISOL
“20 minutes around nature can help decrease stress”
Cortisol, also known as the stress hormone, is responsible for a number of wonderful things. It helps the body control heart rate and blood pressure, regulate metabolism, reduce inflammation and respond to stress.
Keeping these levels regular, therefore, is crucial for health and wellbeing. Research has found that spending as little as 20 minutes around nature can help decrease stress hormone levels.
So next time you’re feeling overwhelmed at work, head over to a green space on your lunch break.
VITAMIN D
Sunshine in the UK may not be a common occurrence, but spending time in the golden glow when it comes around is important for health.
Sunlight is a natural source of vitamin D, which regulates the body’s levels of calcium and phosphate. These fundamental nutrients keep your skeleton and muscles strong.
Vitamin D has also been linked to improving mood and energy levels – the sun really can make you happier, folks.
You’ll also get a lovely tan – but make sure to use sun cream!
IMPROVE FOCUS
“Being in natural environments can restore concentration”
Ever checked your phone’s screen time and felt horrified at the number of hours? Our digital world means people stare at screens for hours every day, and the overload of information online causes mental fatigue.
Research has shown that being in natural environments can boost cognitive functions. Being outdoors restores concentration and improves our focus for longer periods of time – which is especially great for students during exam seasons!
BETTER SLEEP
Exposure to natural light helps to regulate your sleep-wake cycle. Light sensors in the eye that detect light and dark cycles match our circadian rhythm – the body’s natural clock – to night and day.
Spending more time outside in the mornings, even just for a little while, can contribute to a healthier sleep pattern.
BOOST CREATIVITY
“Spending time outside is connected to increased creative problem-solving”
The natural world is an infinite repository of inspiration.
From hikes to laid-back relaxation in the great outdoors, these activities are great for cognitive function.
Studies have suggested spending time outside is connected to increased creative problem-solving.
The physiological benefits of immersion in nature, such as physical activity, fresh air and natural light, can also indirectly enhance creative thinking. These aspects work together to optimise your mental environment and brain activity.
HOW TO GET OUTDOORS MORE
“One of the best ways to make sure you get outdoors more is having a job that supports this lifestyle”
Relaying the benefits of being in the fresh air is easy, but actually revelling in these virtues is harder to do.
Finding the time to get out and breathe in some fresh air is challenging when you work in an office. Therefore, one of the best ways to make sure you get outdoors more is having a job that supports this lifestyle.
Garden maintenance is honest, rewarding work. Its flexible hours, locality, community-base and – of course – outdoorsy style makes it the perfect role for supporting a healthy lifestyle and wellbeing.
Ed’s is the UK’s leading garden services franchise, and has been helping people get out of the office and into nature since 2003.
Many of our business owners have come from working long hours in stuffy offices, wanting to do something active, healthy and outdoorsy instead. We’ve helped them attain their goals and watched their businesses thrive.
To spend more time in the fresh air and boost your wellbeing, why not consider joining the Ed’s franchise family?