Don’t you agree that spending time outdoors is a great way of bonding with your family?
It’s de-stressing, fun, adventurous, exciting and therapeutic.
Being outdoors, exploring nature, spending time in the open can be both a learning and humbling experience. And don’t even start with the long list of benefits that come with it.
As family we’ve enjoyed being outdoors. And thankfully the children are totally game for it or it would’ve been a dampener.
From treks through the forests or the rugged rocky terrains or the cold mountain trails, going scuba diving or spending time at conservation zones, be it for protecting an endangered species of turtles or the tigers.
Each of these trips has been an adventure. We’ve a zillion memories, along with some thousand photographs.
Exploring nature is the closest we can hope to reconnect with our environment.
Just look at the benefits listed. If that doesn’t convince you to pack your bag pack and head towards the hills (or some other place of your choice), then I can add a few more.
Benefits of Outdoor Activities
- Better Physical Fitness Levels: Engaging in outdoor activities like hiking, biking, cycling and rowing gives you a good cardio workout and strengthens your muscles. A fun way of making you stronger and fitter.
- Stronger Immune System: Your lungs could do with more exposure to fresh air. Nature provides you this in abundance and helps your immune system become stronger, making it more tough and resilient to illnesses.
- Stress Reduction: The calming effect of nature helps in reducing cortisol levels. This leads to you feeling more relaxed and calm. It can further help to bring down your stress and anxiety.
- Time to Think Clearly: Away from the cacophony of urban setting and being surrounded in nature can enhance cognitive functions and concentration. In short, helps with clearer thinking and better decision-making.
- Natural Mood Enhancer: Looking for ways to increase your serotonin levels? Just go outdoors. It’s the cheapest and natural way to increase your serotonin levels in your body, leading to improved mood and a deep sense of happiness.
- Bonding Time: With no, or reduced, distractions because of gadgets, it increases your participation in group activities. You get more time to focus on relationships and strengthening your social connections with friends and family.
- Inspiring Creativity: Nature has a way to inspire you with new ideas. Spending time outdoors stimulates your creative thinking. And surviving outdoors helps you develop innovative problem-solving skills.
- Sleep Better: When camping under the sky, the natural light and the soothing sounds help to regulate sleep patterns. This can improve your sleep quality and overall restfulness.
- No Vitamin ‘D’eficiency: No more prescriptions for vitamin D which is produced in the body with exposure to sunlight. Being outdoors in the sunlight allows the body to produce vitamin D, improving your bone health and immune function.
- Better Academic Performance: The real-time outdoor learning experiences can augment understanding and retention of academic material, particularly in science and environmental studies.
- Increase in Physical Activity: There can’t be a more effective way to maintain your healthy weight and overall fitness. The physical exercise will ensure you feel more fit and full of energy.
- Being Mindful and Present: The calm surroundings encourages mindfulness and being present in the moment. This reduces the unnecessary mental clutter, promoting mental well-being.
- Increases Resilience: Outdoor activities provide their own challenges like climbing a hill or navigating a trail or building a fire. This builds resilience, survival skills and confidence in yourself.
- Environmental Awareness: Instead of studying about it in books, getting time to spend in nature gives you a chance to connect and experience it first-hand. You discover a newfound love and respect for the environment, encouraging you to adopt sustainable practices and conservation efforts.
- Creates Educational Opportunities: The hands-on learning experiences is the best way to teach children about ecosystems, wildlife, and the importance of biodiversity. When they learn from experience they’ll have a better appreciation and understanding.
- Improved adaptability: No more comfy beds and bathrooms or personalised menus. Children learn to adapt to the available comforts. This teaches them to adjust and accommodate.
Spending time outdoors is as much about adventure as it is about learning and making memories. It’s also about enrich our lives with experiences.
It teaches children about compassion, resilience, empathy and creates awareness about the world beyond themselves.
Being outdoors exposes them to the gradual changes in the environment. The reducing treeline, the increasing pollution of the water bodies, the soil erosion, the abuse of the planet in the name of progress and development.
If the children understand the importance of conserving nature, they’ll be conscious about the decisions they make as professionals.
It’s an investment for a better future.
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