Why You Should Spend Time Outside As A Family

 

Photo by Toomas Tartes on Unsplash

The great outdoors. Wales is filled with some of the most beautiful and scenic locations in the world. If it wasn’t for the weather, you’d never be indoors. But getting outside often is a great way to better mental and physical health, as well as teach children about the importance of being outdoors. 

The benefits of getting outdoors are huge, so what are you waiting for? 

Before You Head Outdoors, Get The Right Kit

Comedian Billy Connolly once said, “there’s no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothes.” Enjoying being in nature means that you need the right equipment. This means having good pair of walking shoes and women's and mens outerwear that is suitable for cold and wet temperatures. 

Create Family Memories

Whether you’re having an outdoor picnic or hiking a mountain, getting outside is a great way to make memories with your family. 

Unplug

Getting outside is a great way to unplug and destress as a family. Modern life seems to revolve around screens and smartphones. Being outside is the perfect opportunity to leave behind and be present in the moment, rather than in a virtual world. 

Improve Your Mood

Nature, fresh air and natural light are great mood boosters and can relieve stress and anxiety. Vitamin D, which is important for mood, bone health and decreasing the risk of heart attack and stroke, is produced by the body when exposed to sunlight. Getting outside every day, even for only 15 minutes, can be beneficial. 

Improve Your Physical Health

Exercising outside can be extremely beneficial. For a start, there are no gym fees to pay, so there’s no real cost to exercising outdoors as long as you have the right equipment. 

You’ll find your cardiovascular health and endurance improve. If you’re walking across uneven ground or up hills, you’ll also build your core strength as well as the large muscles in your legs. 

Regular physical exercise can have a transformative effect on your life. Not only will it keep your weight in check, but will reduce the associated health risks around diabetes, heart disease and stroke. 

Set A Good Example For Your Kids

By making time outside a regular thing, you’re normalising it for your kids. They’ll learn to love the outdoors and will hopefully keep up this habit throughout their life. Any activity that gets kids active and away from screens will be a huge benefit to their overall health. 

In addition, your kids will be able to learn new skills, build up their levels of self-confidence and develop their imagination and creativity. 

Takeaways 

If we’re honest, most of us would say that we need to spend more time outside and less in front of our screens. With a huge number of lasting benefits for you and your family, there are so many good reasons to do it. You don’t have to go all out and become a family that is hiking mountains every weekend, but any time you can spend outside is time well spent.