Anecdotally, many people already know that spending time in nature makes them feel better. They feel more alive, more creative, and more at peace with the world around them. And now a growing body of clinical and scientific evidence is showing that time spent in nature, indeed, is good for both the mind and body.

A healthy boost for your immune system

Just a half day hanging out at the park or hiking in the local woods can do wonders for your immune system, say researchers. That’s because time spent in nature can actually help to stimulate the production of white blood cells that are known immune system boosters. So the next time you’re thinking about blending up a tasty fruit and veggie smoothie to boost your immune system, why not go outside for a breath of fresh air instead?

Lower levels of stress and anxiety

Let’s admit it, it can feel pretty Zen to spend time outside. It’s the reason people love to go for long, solitary hikes – you can almost feel your worries and cares melting away. And now researchers have found that simply spending time in green spaces can help to reduce stress and anxiety. Stress is the result of the body’s production of a stress hormone known as cortisol. But time in nature helps to curb the production of that hormone. And that leaves you feeling better and more energized.

A healthier heart and cardiovascular system

When you’re spending time in nature, you could just be sitting down on a park bench and (literally) taking time to smell the flowers. But, more likely, it means that you are actively moving around. Maybe you are biking around the neighborhood, or going for a long walk, or simply taking your dog out for some playtime in the back yard. But you are moving around, and that qualifies as aerobic exercise activity. Thus, you are boosting your heart and cardiovascular system, and it doesn’t even feel like exercise!

Enhances creativity and inspiration

It’s a technique that writers, painters and poets have been using for centuries – any time they have a creative block, they simply go outside to be inspired for ideas. Some writers, in fact, love to carry around a little notebook with them so that they can immediately jot down new ideas as they occur. Even if you are not an artist, you’ll feel more creative and inspired. You might even hit upon a fantastic new idea that you can use at the office the next day, or some new insight about parenting that can help you become a better parent.

A more relaxed mood

Did you know that the Japanese have a word for spending contemplative time in nature. They call it “Shinrin-yoku” and it can be interpreted as “forest bathing.” You are literally soaking up the good vibes of the forest, and that has a very relaxing effect on your mood. It’s the same reason why people listen to the gentle surge of the waves at the beach or the sounds of a forest whenever they want to calm down and relax – there is something about nature that is very soothing.

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So, as you can see, there are many benefits to spending time in nature. Try getting outside on a regular basis, and you’ll be surprised at how much better you think and feel.

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One of the pleasures of going out for a daily hike is letting your mind wander while enjoying the scenery all around you. But have you ever considered that hiking might also be a great way to practice mindfulness? In short, going out for a solo hike can be a great way to recalibrate your inner personal life, take your mind off concerns like relationships and finances, and truly live “in the moment.”

The first step in practicing mindfulness is making it a conscious decision before you even embark on your hike. Once you’ve reached your hiking area, it’s important to establish beforehand that you are going to dedicate 15 to 20 minutes of the hike to embracing mindfulness. In order to do this, you need to make a few changes to your normal hiking routine. For example, if you usually take along a pair of headphones and music with you as part of your trail running routine, you might want to stash those in your backpack for later.

As part of this conscious decision to embrace mindfulness, the first thing that you will want to do is focus on your breathing. Take deep breaths, slowly in and out. With each new breath, let go of whatever you’ve been thinking about recently. It’s time to focus only on you at this point. The real secret here is that you have to focus on the physical act of breathing – think about what is actually happening to your body with each inhalation or exhalation. Train yourself to slow down and reach a deep, reflective and almost meditative state.

Once you’ve become in tune with your breathing and have reached a state of calmness, it’s time to focus on your other senses. What are you seeing? What are you hearing? Close your eyes and see if you can visualize what is happening around you. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how heightened all of your senses are. And, in so doing, you will feel more alive.

Best of all, you will feel more in tune with nature. While modernity has brought so many conveniences, it has also distanced us from the natural world around us. So hiking is a great way to reaffirm the ageless link with nature. You may even find yourself rediscovering some of the lost joys of childhood.

Take time to study the flora and fauna around you. Even the act of studying a leaf – the texture, the shape and the sound that it makes when being crinkled underfoot by your winter traction hiking spikes – can help to heighten your senses and bring you closer to nature.

That’s especially true in winter, when it’s much easier to embrace the solitude of nature. Everything seems to slow down. If you are traversing snowy trails with your trail spikes and navigating icy patches with your ice grippers, then it’s the perfect time to contemplate the enormous changes that nature undergoes throughout the year – and especially during the winter time.

Finally, as you near the end of the 15- to 20-minute period that you have set aside for mindfulness on this hike, focus again on your breathing. With each new inhalation, focus on breathing in the positive energy around you. With each new exhalation, focus on breathing out the negative energy from your own life.

Practicing mindfulness is not always easy, but once you’ve felt what it likes to reach a deeply meditative state perfectly at peace with the world around you, it can actually become a learned trait that you can use even when you are not out hiking. And, by practicing on hiking trails that are already familiar to you, you won’t have the nagging feeling that perhaps you are missing out on something.

Why Yatta Life?

You can get our traction gear and become a member of our large and growing Yatta Life community.

Talk to other recreationalists on our Facebook page and see what adventure awaits them and those that they’ve tackled. Share stories of accomplishment and struggles when facing the outdoors.

Most importantly, with Yatta Life you’ll – “Wear the gear that will always get you there.”

Day or night, trail or road – you can count on Yatta Life traction gear.

On your recreational journey, may you always say, Yatta! (I did it!)

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