Larry Piatscheck On How You Can Spending Time Outside Benefit Your Health?

1. How Can Spending Time Outside Benefit Your Health?
With mercury levels rising, it is the perfect opportunity for us to be outdoors. While a lot of
people bemoan the humidity and heat, others love to spend as much time as they can in the open
air. If you live in a bustling urban center, you are much more likely to suffer from depression,
anxiety and other mental illnesses. Spending time out in the open can be extremely therapeutic. It
can boost your mood, productivity, social connections and physical health. Whether you are
hiking, running or cycling, soaking up the outdoors is great for you. Let us take a look at some of
the benefits of spending time outdoors.
 Natural stress buster – Being one with nature can help you cultivate a more positive
attitude and heighten your sensory awareness, which can lead to a greater awareness of
your own emotional triggers. Being around plants lowers your blood pressure and cortisol
levels, thereby reducing stress.
 More energy – Spending time outdoors energizes us as it taps into the primordial part of
our brain, forcing us to focus in a different way. We pay attention to the little things and
notice what we might otherwise miss out on.
 Better sleep– Outdoor activity and fresh oxygen prime our bodies for sleep and calm our
mind, making it easier to fall asleep at the end of the day.
 Improved outlook – Taking time off your mobile phones and computer screens can lead
to considerable changes in your brain. In a study conducted in Stanford University,
participants who went for a walk for 90 minutes in a tree-lined park showed much less
activity in the part of their brains which was responsible for ruminating on morbid things.
 Strengthens the immune system– Plants produce compounds called Phytoncides that
protect them from rotting and from insects. According to Larry Piatscheck, these airborne
chemicals greatly benefit human beings too. Parks, forests and other such places that
have ample greenery can increase our immune functions. This means that you are much
less likely to fall sick.
 Improved cognition and memory – Since spending time in nature encourages our brains
to enter into a state which is quite similar to meditation, it greatly improves your
cognition and memory. According to a study conducted in the University of Michigan,
spending as little as twenty minutes around plants led to improved scores on standardized
memory tests. This eventually translates to better performance in the workplace, more
creative thinking and a well preserved long term memory.