5 Reasons Nutritionist Caitlin is Getting Active Outside this Summer – and Why You Should Too!
With longer days and warmer weather, summer is the perfect time to get active outdoors. Whether it be moving your mat outside, checking out local walking tracks, or incorporating activity into your holiday, there are plenty of ways to be active this summer.
We’ve all heard that being active is good for us, but did you know that getting outside has added health benefits? Here are the top 5 reasons I’m getting active outside this summer.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D helps build strong bones and the good news is, our bodies naturally produce it when we get sun on our skin. During the summer, spending just minutes outside each day can help meet your daily Vitamin D needs (1). Being active may provide further benefits, with studies showing physical activity is associated with higher vitamin D levels (2).
Improved Sleep
Struggling to catch some z’s? Spending time outdoors may help regulate your internal body clock, making for better sleep at night (3). What’s more, research shows that regular outdoor physical activity can significantly increase sleep time (4).
Greater Enjoyment
Exercising outdoors is the perfect opportunity to explore your natural surroundings, which may increase feelings of enjoyment and motivation. With research suggesting exercising outdoors can feel easier than exercising indoors (5), you might even be able to exercise harder without realising it!
Improved Mood
It’s well-known that exercise helps produce endorphins, aka the ‘happy hormones’, but did you know exposure to sunshine can act as a natural mood booster too? Sunlight is thought to trigger the brain’s production of the ‘feel good’ chemical serotonin, which plays a key role in regulating your mood (6).
Reduced Stress
Most of us experience stress throughout the day so getting physically active outside can be a great way to overcome this. Studies have shown that exercising outside reduces the production of stress hormones, not only resulting in a more relaxed state but also benefiting overall health (5).
While there are numerous benefits to getting active outside this summer, too much sun exposure can be damaging. For tips on safe sun exposure check out www.sunsmart.org.nz
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