Helton Creek Falls (image by Greg Langston)
Your Reasons To Get Outdoors!
When Spring approaches after a long winter, getting outdoors is just the ticket we need! When planning your mountain vacation, be sure to include local hikes to scenic mountain views, waterfalls and state parks along with your local attraction/ event plans. Nature offers a reliable boost to your mental and physical well-being!
What does getting outdoors do for you? For one it relieves stress. A recent study found that people who were sent into the forest for just two nights had lower levels of cortisol, a hormone often used as a marker for stress, than those who spent that time in the city. In a different study, researchers found a decrease in both heart rate and levels of cortisol in people in the forest when compared to those in the city. Even an office window with a beautiful outdoor view relieves stress for workers.
Say what? Getting outdoors can help your eyesight? Well, for children at least! An Australian study in 2012, that followed almost 2,000 schoolchildren for two years, found that more time spent outdoors was associated with a lower prevalence of myopia among 12-year-olds. That same association was not found for those who spent a lot of time playing sports indoors, suggesting the connection was about more than physical activity.
A few other things benefiting us for taking that hike, can be sharper thinking, ability to focus better and find more creativity. Getting outdoors is readily available, and could improve your cognitive functioning at zero cost and much less expensive than medicines and professional therapy. Along with immune boosting effects and improved mental function, is all the more reason to experience the great outdoors as often as possible!
Conducted studies have shown that active people have over all longer and healthier lives. The thinner mountain air can give people better air quality over those who live in big cities. So now what should you do? Book a stay, plan your outdoor adventures and get your dose of ‘outdoor therapy’ with Majestic Mountain Getaways!
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Michelle J Ravan
Editor / Team Member