Being outside helps your health

BY HELENA KNUTSON

Marketing Executive

The warm weather is making its way to Stephenville, and with that students can be seen embracing the outdoors.

School can cause feelings of stress and anxiety, but nothing like the outdoors can help students feel calmer and more upbeat.

The outdoors can promote good chemicals that help students feel this change in their demeanor.

Harvard Health conducted an experiment in 2019 to see how people’s well-being changed after a few minutes of being outdoors.

The experiment had 36 people spend 10-  20 minutes outside in nature three times a week. After a few days, scientists found that the subjects’ cortisol levels, commonly known as the stress hormone, dropped dramatically after being immersed in nature.

“Spending at least twenty to thirty minutes immersed in a natural setting was associated with the biggest drop in cortisol levels. After that time, additional stress-reduction benefits accrued more slowly.

Time of day and specific settings didn’t affect stress levels. So the next time you need to de-stress or just work on your mental well-being, find a natural setting you enjoy and spend some time there,” Harvard Health wrote in an article.

Skyla Thalji, a junior education major,  has spent her summers being outdoors at Camp Eagle Summer Camp in Texas Hill Country since fifth grade.

Thalji went to camp as a kid and has come back to work at the camp over the past two years. She often spends her summer fully immersed in the outdoors without technology. Thalji has seen firsthand the benefits of being outdoors and how it has affected her overall well-being.

“I’ve definitely noticed that, being outdoors, is great therapy for me. I mean, even the other day as the sun has started to come out more I’ve noticed my mood has changed drastically, and having a reason to be outside is super important for me,” Thalji said. “So, Camp Eagle gives me that, so I can like being outdoors and have something to do. Just have my mind off of things almost. Just being out of the sun comes to make me a happier person.”

Hunter Triebel, a junior political science major, spends his time outdoors with Tarleton’s Outdoor Pursuits. Triebels outdoor activities help him destress.

“Going outside kind of shuts me off, and it always curates a really intimate relationship with the environment that you’re in and puts you in a position to focus on kind of the things that really matter, and it’s a really grounding experience,” Triebel said.

Along with a drop in stress, being in nature can also help with cognitive abilities.

As students, we all understand the stress of studying and how an overload of information can be overwhelming. However, it has been proven that being outside without technology can improve people’s memories and productivity.

A student at the University of Michigan conducted a study to determine whether people who walked in nature rather than urban areas had better memories.

The study involved two groups taking a memory test. After taking the test, one group walked around an urban area for 20 minutes while the other took a nature walk for 20 minutes.

After their walks, both groups took another memory test. Those who took the nature walk improved their memory test scores by 20%, while the ones who walked in an urban area did not constantly improve.

Thalji reflects on her time at Camp Eagle and how being outdoors improved her memory and the learning abilities of her campers.

“Truly, when you’re outdoors, and you’re fully submerged in that experience, it’s so much easier to learn, so much easier to think, just because you focused on the beauty around you rather than just being inside in a controlled environment. At Camp Eagle, out in nature, I found that I retained information a lot better when I was learning, and students did as well,” Thalji said.

Lastly, the outdoors has a big impact on your physical health. Being outside increases your activity level, leading to a healthier lifestyle and mind. There is no need for a gym membership when you walk outside and enjoy the outdoors.

Hunter Triebel has worked with Outdoor Pursuits for two years now and stays active by participating in all the organization’s activities, such as hiking, walking and bike rides.

“For me, going to a gym isn’t always the most welcoming or comfortable space. And having the opportunity to go outdoors and go hiking or go rock climbing or go paddling down a river, it’s allowed me to get a lot of that exercise and riding bikes and running, and things like that and do it in a way that’s more approachable to a lot of people, rather than sitting in a gym,” Triebel said.

Stepping outside can have a positive impact on your well-being and lead to a healthier, happier lifestyle.