Experts recommend that we do some physical activity for 30 minutes every day. You can also break it up into 3×10 minute sessions when pressed for time.
The world we live in today is sometimes moving too fast. Feeling stressed from work, family, and other matters is not uncommon at all, leaving you little to no time for yourself.
That’s why maintaining health is crucial. You should learn to balance your life with some healthy activities that will pay off with big benefits.
If you’re ready to turn your health around, here are 5 outdoor activities that’ll help you get started.
Take A Walk
The first thing you can do to improve your health is to set aside 30 minutes of your day and take a light walk: in your backyard, down your street, or nearby park. This is an excellent way for you to get some fresh air and soak up the sun.
You don’t need any additional preparation or equipment for this activity; just your good mood and maybe a playlist or a pet to keep you company.
To give you a clear idea of why walking is good to your health, here are a few benefits that this simple daily physical activity brings with it:
According to some researchers, setting aside 30 minutes daily for walking can take you well into your golden years.
Moreover, running reduces the risk of developing breast cancer. According to research conducted by the American Cancer Society, women who walk seven or more hours a week have 14% lower risk of breast cancer.
Go To The Gym
If you used to exercise before, but for some reason, you neglected this hobby, the next advice would be to hit the gym in your city.
Yes, you should get back to exercising in an environment that was once familiar to you, and ensure health benefits.
Mind you, going back to the gym can be much more difficult for those who have taken a huge break, and the most difficult for those for whom this is the first encounter with exercise equipment.
No worries. You don’t have to go all in the moment you change into your gym fit. Take it easy and start with some beginner exercises.
A bodyweight leg workout is a good way to start. Start with some squat jumps and push-ups, and slowly move towards more serious exercises as you progress.
Take Up Gardening
The advice that many of you did not expect is gardening.
As a matter of fact, there has been increasing evidence that exposure to plants and green space, particularly gardening, is beneficial to an individual’s mental and physical health.
Many health professionals actually encourage their patients to use green spaces and to work in their gardens.
That’s where newly created pressure on local authorities to increase open spaces and the number of trees comes from. It’s basically a win-win situation: helping to counteract air pollution and climate change and improving individual health.
Gardening requires not only physical energy from you, but also dedication to the work you do. It’s a source of Vitamin D, it’s good for the heart, and it can increase your self-esteem.
Go For A Hike
For those who want to seriously engage in some healthy activity, hiking might just be the best solution.
For adrenaline junkies, this heart-pounding workout will surely be a good choice to get back on track. It’s considered great cardio that keeps your heart healthy and boosts bone density.
Some even claim that hiking improves creative thinking and problem-solving. You’ll hear wonderful natural sounds like birds and rushing water as you make your way down the hiking trail.
These sounds have proven to have a calming effect.
Go Fishing
Last on the list for healthy outdoor exercises is fishing. Like the other options we have mentioned so far, fishing can be an individual or group activity; depending on what suits you at the moment.
Although viewed only as a hobby, fishing carries many health benefits.
Similar to gardening, even when skies are grey, being outside means your body is getting the Vitamin D that it needs, and fishing is a great way to get a hold of this crucial vitamin.
It boosts your immune system and has been linked to fighting depression.
You may not have been aware that fishing also has a therapeutic value. This is because fishing is, by its very nature, a peaceful activity in quiet surroundings.
Caring for your health should not be merely a hobby. It’s a necessity. You don’t have to exhaust your body with hard exercises and expensive products. You can simply take up outdoor activities that will help you get excellent results.
For those ready to get back on track, casual walks, going to the gym, gardening, hiking and fishing should be on your list.