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National Exercise & ‘Play Outside’ Days

By: Claire Butcher

In the spring there are three closely related national days revolving around the benefits of physical activity and nature: National Exercise Day, National Play Outside Day, and National Walking Day. It’s likely we all think of ways we could be incorporating more physical activity and time outside when we hear about these highlighted dates. Between hectic work schedules, daunting updates in the news, and nearly unlimited access to screens and quick dopamine-hits, it can be difficult to reconnect with our bodies and the outdoors. This article will shed light on the benefits of movement and nature, and provide ways we can reduce the barriers to integrating these essential activities into our schedule. 

Benefits of Nature

Time outside can give us one of the most immediate benefits to mental health – drastically reducing stress, lowering our cortisol levels, and improving our mood. Sunlight specifically plays a large role in boosting our production of serotonin and reducing symptoms of depression. Research shows that routine exposure to nature also helps us reduce rumination, or cycles of negative thinking patterns. Some doctors and therapists even prescribe time in nature to their patients, encouraging them to reconnect with the outdoors to gain the numerous health benefits.

Connecting with nature doesn’t always have to look like a long camping trip or strenuous hike; immediate benefits can be achieved through small forms of engagement – gardening, going for a short walk in a park, standing or sitting outside for fresh air, even having a window with a view of nature has been linked to these cognitive benefits. To all the college students – even looking at plants can help improve our focus and memory when studying.

Benefits of Walking and Exercise

Numerous studies have shed light on the incredible benefits of exercise for mental health – from reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression and boosting our ‘feel-good’ hormones and endorphins, to improving our overall brain function. Research even shows even one-time workouts improve cognitive function, sharpening our attention, executive function, memory, and information processing. In this study, age, cognitive status of participants, type of or intensity of exercise, and duration of workout had no significant impact on the benefits participants received. 

Some clinicians recommend pairing mindfulness training with movement – suggesting two to five minute walks in-silence to boost our awareness, brain growth, and mood. Again, remember that small goals can make a big difference, one major study in 2021 discovered that any level of physical activity improved depression risk. Daily movement can even improve symptoms of more severe mental health struggles like PTSD, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer’s. For depression, research has proven aerobic exercises (such as jogging, swimming, cycling, walking, dancing, gardening) significantly reduce symptoms.

Make it Accessible

Just because we know the benefits of movement and spending time in nature, doesn’t mean it’s easy to integrate. Here are some tips to get started and keep the momentum going:

  • Habit stacking – pairing one existing habit with a new one you’re trying to incorporate (doing chair yoga or a short workout while watching a TV show, going for a walk while calling a friend or listening to music)
  • Momentum building – identifying tasks to complete while working towards the end-goal (getting up, drinking water, grabbing a snack, going for a walk, then coming home to clean your room now that your mind and body are active)
    • Or, identifying things that need to happen such as waking up and coming home from class or work, and doing an activity you want to do afterwards (i.e.: getting home from work → then going for a walk; feeding yourself or a pet → then stretching or doing a short workout)
  • Body doubling / Accountability – having a friend to engage in these things with, or someone to report back to, can help us stick to our goals
  • Lower the bar – if it’s too intimidating to start, lower the expectation (instead of “go on a 30 minute walk each day”, change that to “walk for five minutes a day” so you can integrate the habit so it’s achievable even on your hardest days
  • ‘Kill until’ – if we wait for the perfect time to start something new, we will wait forever! Dishes, laundry, and other non-urgent maintenance often can wait while we take time to practice other forms of self-care
  • Get rid of unhelpful rules – if it’s too difficult to do the ‘right’ steps, make your own! (workout at home in your current clothes or pajamas if it’s too much to change into gym clothes and drive to a gym or go outside)

While managing mental health is a multi-layered and complex process, starting with solid foundations of accessible exercise and time outdoors are highly effective ways to improve our wellbeing. Reconnecting with our bodies, minds, and green spaces – even briefly – is vital in this stressful time to ensure we maintain grounded and connected with our spaces and communities around us.

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