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We\u2019ve all heard about how playing outside can help kids. What if there were benefits of nature walks and being outdoors for grown-ups as well? It turns out there are some pretty astounding benefits of nature walks for adults too! Some of them have to do with your physical health, but many have to do with your mental health as well. <\/p>\n
We started doing something special to commemorate all our nature walks and hikes. I\u2019ll get to that in a bit, but first let\u2019s look at some of the amazing benefits of nature walks! <\/p>\n
What is a Nature Walk? <\/h2>\n
According to dictionary.com, a nature walk<\/a> is defined as \u201d a walk on a nature trail, especially with an experienced guide.\u201d They define a nature trail as \u201ca path through a forest, wildlife preserve, or the like, especially one designed to provide opportunities for observing and learning about the flora and fauna.\u201d <\/p>\n In other words: a nature walk is what I think of as \u201cgoing on a hike\u201d or a \u201cwalk in the park.\u201d <\/strong><\/p>\n According to mayo clinic<\/a>, regular brisk walking can have all kinds of benefits including: <\/p>\n When you go on nature walks, you not only get benefits of regular walking exercise, you get added benefits from being out in nature<\/a> such as: <\/p>\n There are many benefits of simply going outside.<\/a> These include:<\/p>\n According to Richard Ryan at the University of Rochester,<\/a> it does! People that spend as little as 20 minutes a day in nature have a better sense of well-being and vitality. They are also more resistant to physical illness. <\/p>\n Knowing the benefits of nature walks will not do any good if we don\u2019t know exactly what a nature walk is. I can walk on a treadmill at the gym, and I can get the benefits of walking, but there are more benefits when you pair them with being outside. Similarly, I can go outside in a city, which feels different than when I walk in the park or down a forest trail. <\/p>\n Going on nature walks have some pretty amazing benefits \u2013 from helping your brain to function better, making your body feel better physically and even helping you to be happier and more content in your life. It\u2019s one of the things I mention in my course, Questing for Contentment<\/a> to help you live a happier and more content life. Let\u2019s take a deeper look at 10+ of the benefits of nature walks! <\/p>\n Yes, you read that right \u2013 one pretty amazing benefit of nature walks is that it helps our brains to function better. The fresh air outside increases oxygen to the brain, which it needs to function grow and heal. The brain actually uses three times as much oxygen as our muscle<\/a>s. <\/p>\n Standford University did a very interesting study in 2015<\/a> that showed links between being out in nature and decreased risk of anxiety and depression. What\u2019s unique about this study is that both sets of participants went for a walk on a regular basis \u2013 one group in an urban area and another in a natural area. Then researchers scanned their brains. <\/p>\n In the group that went for a walk in an urban area, the activity in the parts of their brain that are responsible for \u201crumination\u201d (dwelling on negative thoughts) was unchanged. But it was decreased in the group that went for a walk in a natural setting! Pretty cool! <\/p>\n You know how rebooting your PC fixes a lot of issues? Rebooting your brain will too. One huge benefit of nature walks is that it actually reboots your brain and refreshes your mental energy. <\/a> When you take a moment to slow down and take in the natural world around you, it gives you a closer sense of connection to something bigger (and to God). Unsurprisingly, this helps to stabilize your mood, helps you feel refreshed, and reduces stress. <\/p>\n Walking outside has pretty amazing benefits for our bodies as well, especially as we age. Benefits of nature walks for mature adults<\/a> also include: <\/p>\n My experience with my youngest son in the opening paragraph makes this benefit of nature walks hit home for me. Nature walks not only improve concentration and focus in children but also in adults. There is also evidence that walking outside improves your creativity <\/a>as well. What\u2019s really awesome \u2013 you only need about 25 minutes of walking outside in a natural area to get the benefits!<\/p>\n There are many emotional benefits to increased physical activity <\/a>and walking in nature is just one of those examples. But what about physically? When your body feels better, you are going to feel better mentally as well. Walking can help you feel better physically<\/a> by: <\/p>\n There are 4 main brain chemicals that are associated with happiness. <\/a>(This is a fairly common way that scientists measure happiness when they are doing brain scans.) One of the benefits of going on a nature walk is that just going outside and being exposed to sunlight increases the production of serotonin. Serotonin is the neurotransmitter that helps to regulate your mood, and also helps with sleep, digestion, memory, and your ability to learn. (Which explains some of the other benefits of nature walks.) <\/p>\n But there\u2019s more: When you pair walking with being outside, you get an increase in the other brain chemicals as well that are associated with exercise. Regular physical exercise has many mental health benefits, including boosting your endorphins and dopamine levels. What does that mean in plain English? Endorphins are your body\u2019s natural pain relievers so your body feels better physically. Dopamine is the brain chemical that\u2019s part of the brain\u2019s rewards system. It\u2019s linked to pleasurable sensations along with learning and memory. So when you go for a nature walk, it stimulates the production of 3 major brain chemicals that are linked to happiness. <\/strong>This makes your thoughts more positive as well. <\/p>\n Related: 12 Tips to Help You Stay Positive in a Negative World<\/a><\/p>\n Simple Secrets You Need to Know to Be Happy and Content<\/a><\/p>\n Questing for Contentment Online Course<\/a><\/p>\n Sometimes it can be relaxing to go for a nature walk alone. Sometimes you need that alone time to unwind and let your brain process everything that\u2019s on your mind. But going for a nature walk can be a social activity as well if you go with your friend, your family, or even your dog. This means that you can relax and get all the other benefits of nature walks as well as spend quality time with those that you love. <\/p>\n Several years ago, my husband started what he calls \u201cyard walks\u201d after he gets home because it helps him to unwind. When I go with him, it provides us a great time to talk and spend quality time with one another. <\/p>\n This benefit of nature walks was rather surprising to me, but studies have shown that time spent outside may make you feel more generous<\/a>. Specifically, the feeling of being in awe \u2013 where you feel like a small part of a larger whole prompts feelings of generosity. You might feel this way when you look at a fantastic view from a mountain top or gaze up at the stars. <\/p>\n Going for a nature walk can also make you more cooperative with other people. It\u2019s part of the attention reset and stress reduction. Another study<\/a> found suggestions that when you are exposed to nature you also become more cooperative with others. If I am less stressed and I have experienced the \u201d brain reboot,\u201d that going for a nature walk gives me, I\u2019m much more likely to be patient with others and more cooperative. (There are many benefits to being patient<\/a> too!) <\/p>\n We all know that we need sleep. What adult doesn\u2019t need more sleep? But sometimes actually sleeping is hard because our minds are wired and when we lay our heads down on our pillows at night our brains kick into overdrive. Remember we talked about that brain reboot above? Going for a nature walk can help you sleep by helping your mind wind down as well as burning off some physical energy. <\/p>\n This is a nice side effect of regular nature walks \u2013 you might lose weight and become more physically fit. Walking itself is a great form of exercise and requires no special equipment. It\u2019s one of the easiest forms of exercise to fit into a busy schedule. <\/p>\n Even though the dictionary definition of nature walks talks about having an experienced guide, I have never found the need for one. Most of the forested nature trails or hikes around my area may have a guide at the visitor center if it\u2019s a state park. That can be interesting. But you don\u2019t have to go that far to find a nature walk. It can be as close as your local park. <\/p>\n I did a simple Google search for \u201cTrails near me\u201d and I got results from local parks as well as nature trails. If you\u2019d like some websites dedicated to helping you find nature walks near you, check out: <\/p>\n Nature walks have a lot of surprising benefits. We know that going outside helps kids, but it has a lot of benefits for adults as well. It\u2019s the perfect way to boost your mood, get some sun and exercise, as well as give your brain a reboot and increase your concentration, mental clarity, and creativity. It can also be a social activity giving you time to boost your emotional connection to those that you love. We go for nature walks in the form of hikes as a family. It\u2019s a great day trip experience. <\/p>\n When my youngest son was smaller, he used to always fall down and scrap his knee or fall in a creek. I learned to be sure to bring bandaids and that dry socks\/change of clothes in the vehicle were not a bad idea either. Both boys loved finding hiking sticks along the way. They loved it so much that we eventually bought them real hiking sticks. When we go to a state park or a national park, my husband and I have started buying walking stick medallions to commemorate the adventure. His has the state parks and mine has the national parks. It\u2019s our hope that it will give our kids two heirlooms to treasure and remember all our adventures by. <\/p>\n Why do you love nature walks or what questions do you have? Leave me a comment below! <\/p>\n We\u2019ve all heard about how playing outside can help kids. What if there were benefits of nature walks and being outdoors for grown-ups as well? It turns out there are some pretty astounding benefits of nature walks for adults too! Some of them have to do with your physical health, but many have to do […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7074628,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[235310,235311,103950,100227,96877,12340,235312,235313,235314],"tags":[11283,37821,5575,235315,28609],"dealstore":[],"offerexpiration":[],"class_list":["post-7074627","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-brain-reboot","category-creativity-boost","category-exercise","category-inspiration","category-mental-health","category-nature","category-naturewalks","category-outside","category-walkoutside","tag-benefits","tag-contentment","tag-nature","tag-questing","tag-walks"],"yoast_head":"\nWhy is Walking in Nature Good for You? <\/h2>\n
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What are 3 Benefits of Going Outside? <\/h2>\n
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Does Nature Give you Energy? <\/h2>\n
10+ Benefits of Nature Walks<\/h2>\n
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<\/figure>\n1. Fresh Air Helps Your Brain Function Better<\/h3>\n
2. Walking in Nature May Decrease Anxiety and Depression<\/h3>\n
3. Your Brain Gets a Reboot<\/h3>\n
4. It Helps You Look (and Feel) Younger<\/h3>\n
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5. Nature Walks Improve Focus, Concentration, and Creativity<\/h3>\n
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6. Helps You Feel Better Physically<\/h3>\n
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7. Makes Your Thoughts More Positive<\/a> and Helps You Feel Happier<\/h3>\n
8. Nature Walks Can Be A Social Activity<\/h3>\n
9. More Generous and More Cooperative<\/h3>\n
10. Helps You Sleep<\/a><\/h3>\n
BONUS: You Might Lose Weight and Become More Physically Fit!<\/h3>\n
How Do I Find Nature Walks Near Me? <\/h2>\n
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The Last Thing You Need to Know About the Benefits of Nature Walks<\/h2>\n
Related<\/em><\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"