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Last Tuesday I was driving back from visiting some of our cardiac team who work at State College when snowflakes the size of marshmallows began to fill the sky. I thought it was an awful pre-April Fool’s joke! I do admit that the trees looked beautiful once I got to the Back Mountain, with snow sticking tightly to branches. Happily the brief taste of 60 degree spring melted everything pretty quickly. This week’s supposed to be warmer and I’m getting impatient. Seeing TV reports about folks in the Southern part of the state fishing last Saturday, when trout season in their counties opened, made me envious since up here we have to wait until Saturday April 18. I want to spend some time outside and not need to bundle up.
As kids, my brother Don and I, spent countless hours outside riding bikes, shooting hoops, swinging on the playground and playing stickball until the street lights turned on. But as adults, a lot of us spend our time cooped up indoors working at a desk, stuck in our cars, doing chores around the house and generally insulated from the wide open spaces outdoors.
What you didn’t know as a kid running around the neighborhood with your friends was that being outside was good for more than burning off all of that childhood energy. Science and research has shown that fresh air is actually very good for your health. Just like Mom told us.
Getting some fresh air may actually help you quit your afternoon caffeine habit.
Breathing clean fresh air helps clear your lungs and encourages you to take deeper, longer breaths. This can increase the amount of oxygen that’s available for your body’s cells. This may translate into more energy and clarity of mind for you.
Research has shown that spending time in fresh air, especially when surrounded by nature, increased energy in about 90 percent of people and, when they spent time in natural, pretty places people reported feeling happier, healthier and more alive. What a surprise.
Getting as little as 15 minutes of daylight at the same time every day, especially in the morning, helps your body stop the production of melatonin, which is a hormone that makes you feel sleepy and helps you fall asleep at night. This can start you off with more energy and a better attitude as you face your busy day.
Here’s another cool fact – plants and trees emit airborne chemicals to protect themselves from insects and rot, but these chemicals seem to help humans relax.
One study reported that participants who spent time walking in a forest, rather than in a city, showed more signs of relaxation, including lower blood pressure and lower amounts of cortisol – the stress hormone.
But that’s not where the mood-boosting benefits stop when you head outside.
Sunlight is thought to thwart or lessen depression and stress since the rays boost the production of serotonin.
When you’re outside getting fresh air, you’re also getting your daily dose of vitamin D from exposure to the sun.
Just 30 minutes in the sun can provide you with a day’s supply of vitamin D, which helps your bones form properly and reduce your risk of developing bone diseases. Getting enough vitamin D can also help reduce the risk of multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, heart disease and more. It can also help reduce an overactive immune system for people with autoimmune conditions such as lupus.
Getting outside for some fresh air may keep you healthy from less serious illnesses too.
When you’re stuck in an office, you’re exposed to a lot of germs. Going for a walk outside can boost the production of chemicals that increase your overall immune function.
Spending time outdoors doesn’t have to feel like a chore; simply take a walk during lunch to break up your day, or play with your kids. Not only will you be reaping the fresh air and sunlight benefits for your health, you’ll be having fun too. Let’s get out there and clean the cobwebs out of our heads.