The outdoors is a free place, full of vast land and opportunity that just sits outside your doorway waiting for you to notice its magic. Stepping out of one’s comfort zone into the land of fishing, hunting, and hiking is uncomfortable for many people. The reality of the outdoors is that it can improve your mental and physical health. You just have to take the first step.
The Outdoors
Boost That Vitamin D
Getting outside, even for a few minutes, boosts your vitamin D levels. This means your body is better equipped to fight off disease. This doesn’t mean you sit in the sun all day, but a little exposure is good for your body. Take your fishing rods, your new Cheeky Reels, and set up next to a river with a tree nearby. Let yourself get a little bit of sun, then go enjoy fishing. You can even take a little hike as the sun hits your shoulders.
Lower Stress Levels
Taking a simple trip to enjoy the outdoors can help your stress levels. Studies have found that being surrounded by nature actually changes stress in the body. Cortisol levels lower as you spend more time outdoors. This means different things for different people. Some people love the peace of fishing in the quiet of nature. Others love to hike and explore new sanctuaries. Some people like to just sit and look at the stars. There’s something to being outdoors, away from the noise of the world, that makes people focus and get away from their every day worries.
Explore Beautiful Places
There’s an entire world out there just waiting to be explored. You can broaden your mental focus by exploring these beautiful places. Camping allows you to find hidden gems like crystal clear waterfalls tucked in the mountains or extravagant flowers you’ve only seen in magazines. You have to get out of your recliner and head outside to find these beautiful places. Nature’s beauty may open places in your mind that you never knew were there. You may find inspiration for all kinds of ideas while the clean air awakens the artistic parts of your mind.
Better Brain Function
Being in the outdoors makes you use parts of your brain that are idle most of the time. You stimulate areas of the brain for concentration and clarity that you don’t usually think about. The mind isn’t usually focusing on what types of bait the fish in certain ponds like or trying to find poison ivy. You’re opening up an entire new part to the brain. You’re thinking of how to start a fire instead of how to make the printer at work come to life. The brain won’t be bored, that’s for sure.
Get Exercise
Many people don’t think camping is exercise, but you move much more than you think. From setting up the tent to gathering wood for the fire, movement is involved in all parts of camping. Any time you’re getting out of your house or your office and into the outdoors, you’re moving to the next destination. Hiking is a great way to get in a little cardio before you get to your fishing hole. You can sit at the fishing hole for hours then get in a little more cardio before going back to the campsite. You won’t feel as guilty about roasting some s’mores over the fire after a nice little hike.
Make Memories
Camping with your loved ones helps you create fun or even crazy memories. Sitting around a campfire just talking about your lives takes you away from the outside world. All of the usual distractions are taken away as you have the time to focus on one another. Take the time to teach the kids how to reel in a fish. Take them on a hike to collect rocks. Let them swim in the hidden fishing hole. There’s a whole new world full of memories without technology distractions.
Getting out of your comfort zone into the outdoors can be scary. All you have to do is take the first step out your door and towards a campsite to get over the fear. The mental and physical awards will make your heart literally and figuratively happy.
Pinstripe Magazine Staff
Online Men’s Lifestyle Magazine on Gear, Grooming, Girls, Gadgets
