Nature offers one of the most reliable boosts to your physical and mental well-being.
Here are just a few potential benefits:
This is perhaps the most obvious reason to get outside, but often the most overlooked. The sun is capable of supplying us with the majority of vitamin D that our body requires, certain foods and supplements being the other sources. Many studies have shown there is a link between Inflammatory Bowel Diseases and vitamin D, higher levels of vitamin D may help manage some symptoms by reducing levels of inflammatory proteins. More research needs to take place to determine just how effective vitamin D can be for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, there is no evidence that low vitamin D levels cause Inflammatory Bowel Disease or whether taking supplements can prevent Inflammatory Bowel Disease.
Either way, it is a huge benefit and our bodies need the sunshine vitamin.
If you want your body to function properly, get outside.
Sleep is essential for anyone with an Inflammatory Bowel Disease or ostomy, our bodies seem to be in constant ‘fight mode’, somedays seem more tiring than others.
Our bodies have become used to a regular sleep pattern, sometimes these patterns become disturbed, like our sleep can be. Getting outdoors can help regulate these patterns again, melatonin levels, which control your sleep-wake pattern, is influenced by the amount of daylight your body receives each day.
Locking yourself away can severely disrupt your sleep pattern. At times it can be difficult not to nap, save the sleep for night time. Utilise the daylight hours and get outside, recharge your vitamin D levels, control those melatonin levels to aid a good nights sleep.
If your sleep sucks, get outside.
Time spent outdoors can have huge benefits on your mental well-being. The time spent in natural daylight can have a positive effect on both your bodys melatonin and serotonin levels boosting your mood and raising a good nights sleep, which always helps with our mood. Any exercise you do outdoors helps release those feel-good endorphins while reducing stress and anxiety , all great mood boosters!
Studies have shown that a brisk walk can be just as effective as antidepressants- a 30 minute walk around the block, stroll down to your local shops or a wander around some woodland can have huge benefits for you well-being, you don’t have to run a marathon to exercise.
If you’re feeling down, get outside.
Ok, this is pretty much an obvious one, it is difficult to get outside without exercising, even a short stroll to your local shops has huge health benefits- help strengthen your heart, lower cholesterol and control blood pressure reducing the chance of a stroke by nearly 30%.
It may sound strange but you can gain energy by going for a walk, a brisk 30 minute walk can help boost circulation and increases oxygen supply to every cell in your body, helping you to feel more alert and alive.
If you want to live longer, get outside.
So, what can you do to help your physical and mental well-being?
Stress Free Outdoors can help with that, making nature accessible.