Quick Tip Tuesday: Get Outdoors!

As the weather gets colder (highs in the 30s here all week... Brrrr!), it is harder and harder to remember to spend time outside. Not only are we busy and distracted, timing our days around naps and meals, but getting the baby ready to go outside takes more coordination than just donning our own shoes and coats.

Real Health Benefits!

Getting outside and enjoying fresh air is so so good for us, though! Exercising outside is shown to be even better for us than popping in that workout tape indoors, studies show. There are real, measurable health benefits to just being outside in nature! It takes us away from our mind-melting iPads, laptops, and televisions, gets fresh air in our lungs and even helps us get in a little all natural vitamin D, courtesy of Mr. Sun. Optimal levels of vitamin D can help balance our hormones, reduce inflammation, strengthen our immune system, and even reduce risk of obesity and cancer ! Just living near nature (versus an urban setting) can reduce our risk of more than 20 dangerous conditions including cardiovascular, respiratory and neurological diseases. Natural sunlight also helps calibrate our circadian rhythms leading to better, more restful sleep. Not to mention, the air outside is literally more "fresh"- that's not just a figure of speech! Plants and trees constantly clean the air as part of photosynthesis, making the air outside more pure and clear of toxins. Even our self-estem can be boosted from just 5 minutes spent in a green environment! (source)

 I am always amazed how refreshed I feel after going out for a short walk or even playing outside on the deck with the baby a little bit. We spent our Sunday out doing yard work, and I wrapped our daughter up onto my chest while I worked. She loved the constant mommy time attention, and I enjoyed finishing up our outdoor Autumn projects, hands free :)

So Get Out!

As the last leaves fall this week, remember to enjoy the great outdoors! Take a walk, go to a local park or outdoor mall, or spread a blanket in the grass for a quiet fall picnic. Sit outside at a restaurant, or even park down the block from the store you're visiting! Just be sure to enjoy some of the gorgeous natural settings around you. Bundle up if you have to, but take the whole family out for at least a few minutes. Your body and mind will thank you :)