Why you should head into the great outdoors this summer
A day in the woods can help you and your kids feel better inside and out.
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Feeling the grass beneath our feet, hearing the birdsong in the trees above ... There’s something about being outside that makes us feel a bit better after a morning of kids screaming and doing 10 loads of washing.
What if you could bottle this feeling? Could spending more time outdoors make you feel better in mind AND body?
Many health experts are turning to the great outdoors to find answers to ‘modern’ illnesses, such as allergies and digestive problems.
Some even go as far as to say that all the things we thought were ‘dirty’, such as bacteria, bugs, soil and fungi, are necessary for good health.
Good news for the anti-bac gel obsessives among us!
Hello, sunshine!
Not only can getting outside boost our bodies, it can calm our minds, too.
With weeks of summer holiday stretching in front of you, it can become all too easy for kids to spend too much time in front of a screen.
Who can blame you? It may be the only chance you get to make the dinner/go to the toilet/sit down for five minutes.
Sooner or later, however, even kids can get bored of CBeebies. And won't they let you know it!
So, for a change of scenery, why not pack a picnic and head for your nearest patch of woodland for easy entertainment money can't buy?
Letting the kids race around exploring nature's playground will help them burn off some of that pent-up energy, while being outdoors boosts our ‘happy hormone’ serotonin, too.
Our bodies need sunlight to produce it, and it’s one of the reasons we immediately feel better when we get outside, even on cloudy days.
Our bodies also need sunlight to produce vitamin D, which you need for healthy bones.
The Department of Health recommends 10 to 15 minutes a day of sunlight exposure. But be careful not to burn. Cover up and apply sunscreen – and remember to avoid being out during the hottest part of the day (11am-3pm).
