Six reasons why getting outside is good for you.

With benefits for both the mind and body.

1. Head out first thing to help beat insomnia.

Many of us experience low-grade mood swings from autumn onwards as days get shorter and darker, says Dr Sarita Robinson, deputy head of the school of psychology at the University of Central Lancashire. “Daily exposure to natural daylight helps to re-establish our circadian rhythm, or internal body clock,” Robinson says. “Get outside early even on a dim autumn day. It will make a difference to warding off general fatigue and help you to sleep better.” It will also help boost your mood and energy levels.

2. Any exercise will feel easier outdoors.

Scientists have shown that exercise feels easier when it’s performed outside. And research at the University of Essex has found that people who exercise outdoors are more motivated than gymgoers. The effects are more pronounced in autumn and winter. “Studies on measures of thermal sensation [how difficult or easy people found exercising in different temperatures] have shown that for the majority of people activity feels less strenuous on a typical winter’s day,” says John Brewer, a professor of sports science at the University of Suffolk.

3.Running outside makes you go faster.

A recent study at the University of Exeter found that people who ran outdoors reported increased energy and were more likely to repeat their workouts than those on a treadmill. Other researchers have found that running outdoors results in faster times.

4.Woods are a mood booster.

Walking in woodland for as little as 15 minutes a week could do wonders for your mood, according to a team of psychologists from the University of California’s Memory and Ageing Centre. The researchers asked one group of people in their sixties to walk somewhere new and awe-inspiring, while a control group was just asked to walk, preferably outdoors. After eight weeks the people in the awe-inspiring environments reported feeling happier, and spent less time ruminating over negative thoughts.

5. Natural light can benefit eyesight.

There’s strong evidence that spending time outdoors every day is good for eye health and particularly for developing strong vision in young children, says David Cartwright, an optometrist and the chairman of the charity Eye Health UK. It is thought that exposure to a certain amount of bright ambient light — the kind we get outside — is required for optimal eye development.

6. Being in the garden- even without lifting a spade- improves health.

Gardening is good for your muscles, but simply spending time in a garden will significantly improve your health and wellbeing, according to a study published last year by Dr Siân de Bell, of the University of Exeter Medical School. She found the benefits to wellbeing were similar to the difference in health between people living in the wealthiest parts of the country and the poorest, and applied whether people were working in the garden or just relaxing there.

Reference
Peta Bee
The Times Saturday 25th September 2021