Being outside in nature provides the fresh air and natural sunlight your body needs to be healthy.  Just being outside for 10 minutes starts to improve your health.  Some of the benefits according to research done at Cornell University, shows that it starts to lower your blood pressure and increase your focus and improve your mood.  There’s lots of research done that shows a correlation between time in nature and lower stress and anxiety levels.  

Children In Nature

Being in nature can help children become more imaginative in their play.  There is less structure outside, so kids need to create what they are playing.  They can choose how to interact with the environment around them.  This allows them to become more independent, build self-confidence, and learn to be more responsible.  The outdoors creates an atmosphere to allow kids to move more, which means they are getting more exercise improving their physical health.  Being outdoors increases children’s sense of wonder and curiosity.  They start to ask more questions about their environment.  It also helps children learn to appreciate nature and their environment.  This is very important, because children are our future and if they don’t care about our planet who is going to protect it. 

Benefits of Being Outside in Nature for All Ages

• Reduced chance of getting mental health conditions like depression, mood disorder, and schizophrenia.
• Reduced risk of having an eating disorder.
• Reduced risk of having a substance abuse disorder.
• Improves focus, memory, and stress tolerance.
• Reduces symptoms of Insomnia.
• Helps you feel connected to the environment around you which then helps people feel more of a sense of purpose in protecting it.  
• Helps you feel connected to your community and yourself.
• Builds people’s self-esteem, confidence, emotional growth, self-regulation, and social skills.
• It provides different stimulation and increases your different senses.
• Increases your physical activity more than being inside which increases your physical health. 

Benefits of Natural Sunlight for All Ages

• Increases serotonin and vitamin D which helps with improving mood and focus and decreasing stress.
• Improves your sleep and wake cycle which is a big factor in your overall health and wellbeing.  
•  Decreases symptoms of insomnia and depression.

Benefits of Fresh Air for All Ages

• Strengthens your immune system.
• Improves heart and brain health.
• Promotes better sleep.
• Improves your mood.
• Cleanses your lungs and avoids indoor air pollution.
• Increases your energy levels.
• Sharpens your mind.
• Helps you digest your food more efficiently.
• Reduces airborne illnesses and infections.

With all these benefits to your overall health and wellbeing; why wouldn’t you spend more time outside?  It’s important to get kids outside early to start creating those healthy habits.  Those healthy habits will then have a better chance of continuing into adulthood.  The best way to get kids outside is by parents and teachers taking them there.   If kids, see their adult role models enjoying time in nature and making it a priority then they will do the same.