“Go outside and play,” my mama must have said a million times! Maybe it was in part to get the eight of us siblings from underfoot. And maybe Mama knew that to increase our health, happiness, fitness, and motivation, we needed to get outside.
A new study of the neurological effects of “green exercise” – physical activity done in nature – finds that a short, leafy stroll improves working memory and concentration substantially more than completing the same brief walk inside. Lots of research proves that walking, inside or out, generally increases brain blood flow and clears people’s minds. On most measures, the outside walk easily outdoes indoor. People concentrate better and respond faster, results that support scientific evidence about how nature affects our minds. The natural world encourages people to relax, slowing the onslaught of internal ruminations about every pressing concern, and letting our whirring brains quiet.
When possible, move your workout outside; this can be a simple way to magnify its benefits, not only for thinking but also health, happiness, fitness and motivation… a timely message as autumn’s beauty surrounds (most) of us.
Being outdoors nurtures our bodies, minds, and spirits. So make it a point “to go outside and play” this autumn season.
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