Five Restorative Benefits of Outdoor Activities
The hills are lavender today. I drove to the lake to sit on the shore where the water laps against sand-colored stones, and the time outside renewed my soul. Spending time in nature is restorative. Let’s take just a few moments to talk about the benefits of outdoor activities today.
Getting Outside
Nature calls us away from the fast-paced lives most of us have learned to accept. Wild places create space for slowing down, making memories with the ones we love, and much more.
What might it look like to take just 30 minutes and spend time in nature this week?
Here are a few ideas:
Outdoor Activities to Refresh You
1. Take a walk in the nearest community park.
This might not feel like a journey into the wilderness. However, studies show that spending even a few minutes each day beneath open skies can reduce stress and even improve immune function.
2. Find a local State Park.
If you have a couple of hours, do a quick online search to find the nearest State Park. These parks are larger than most community parks and offer everything from hiking to boating.
3. Build a campfire in the backyard.
If you live in a place where campfires are permitted, enjoy a campfire in the backyard with friends of family instead of sitting in front of the TV.
4. Eat a meal outside.
If the weather permits, enjoy a meal on the patio or at a local park instead of eating inside.
5. Stroll through a nature preserve, State Game Lands, or National Forest.
Head off the beaten path to explore the deep woods and search for wildlife for an afternoon.
6. Try Geocaching.
Visit Geocaching.com to learn about this fun activity. Locate caches in your area and spend an hour trying to find these treasures with friends or family. This is a great activity for kids.
7. Try a new recreational activity.
Rent a canoe, go camping for a night, go fishing, rent a paddleboard, or try an outdoor experience you have never undertaken. You might discover a new hobby.
Join me right here for a glimpse into our family’s backpacking, off-grid lifestyle.
Now that we’ve discussed some ideas, let’s explore the benefits of outdoor activities.
5 Benefits of Outdoor Activities
1. Space to Assess Your Priorities and Rhythms
It’s hard to see the bigger picture of your life when you’re living in the middle of the big picture.
Rain or shine, blizzard or heat wave, I aim to take at least a short walk outside every day of the year. Stepping back from my routines allows me to ask hard questions about my life in an unrushed space.
It allows me to take a long look at what’s working and what’s not working. It allows me to assess whether I’m living my priorities and making intentional decisions, or whether I’m just blundering from one activity to the next in an effort to keep up with the current around me.
2. Scientific Research Supports Numerous Health Benefits
A physiological anthropologist from Japan named Miyazaki has taken over 600 research subjects into the woods since 2004.
Along with colleague Juyoung Lee, he has discovered that compared with a walk in the city, a walk in the woods leads to a 12.4 percent decrease in the stress hormone cortisol, a seven percent decrease in sympathetic nerve activity, a 1.4 percent decrease in blood pressure, and a 5.8 percent decrease in heart rate.2
On subjective tests, study participants also report better moods and lower anxiety.
3. Space to Hear from God
It’s hard to connect with the Creator when the noise of the world drowns the quiet whisper of his voice.
We can create space to hear from God anywhere, and I’ve been known to lock myself in the bathroom for even a few minutes to collect my thoughts and connect with the Lord.
However, the backdrop of his created world creates an unrushed environment with fewer distractions than our homes.
When we step away from our never-ending to-do lists and the dozens of tasks we need to complete each day at the house, we create space to hear the still small voice of God.
4. The Natural World Is a Healthy Option for Recreation
In a world saturated with unhealthy ways to relieve stress, the benefits of nature abound.
Time outside often includes physical exercise. In addition, if we include family members, we make memories that will last forever.
Some of my best childhood memories are picnics on the hillside with my mom, fishing trips with the whole family, hiking on autumn afternoons, and sitting in the treestand with Dad watching for whitetails.
5. Stepping out of the Digital World Benefits Everyone in the Family
Stepping away from digital screens is healthy for children as well as adults.
Most of us spend hours in front of screens throughout our days.
Time in nature reconnects us to earth, sky, and even uncomfortable temperatures.
When we allow ourselves to feel the bite of cold winter air on our skin or the weighty heat of an August afternoon, we activate a part of our senses that often remains untouched.
A Free Devotional Book to Help You Connect With God and Enjoy the Benefits of Outdoor Activities:
If you’re ready to break up with hurry for good, my gift to you today is my free 21-day devotional Unrushed: Slow Your Pace and Embrace the Fully-present Life. Each day of this journey will focus on one of the following: your thoughts, your relationship with God, or your relationships with others. This is a powerful journey into a life that is more present – more fully lived. Click here, and I’ll send this free resource to your email inbox!
A Guide to Help You Get Outside With Your Family
I’ve been busy coming up with creative ways to get our family outside, and these activities have been life-giving for us all as we aim to live an unrushed life. I’ve put together a free toolkit filled with printable nature scavenger hunts, obstacle courses, treasure hunts, and much more, all for your family’s enjoyment. Click here, and I’ll send you this free resource: Hours of Outdoor Fun!
Resources:
“It’s Official – Spending Time Outside Is Good for You.” University of East Anglia, June 7, 2018. https://www.uea.ac.uk/about/-/it-s-official-spending-time-outside-is-good-for-you
Williams, Florence. “Take two hours of pine forest and call me in the morning.” Outsideonline.com, December 2012. https://www.outsideonline.com/1870381/take-two-hours-pine-forest-and-call-me-morning?page=all
