How Going Outdoors Boosts Your Immune System?

s the novel coronavirus has stretched to every single country across the globe, there is also quite a bit of misinformation entering every household on how people can protect themselves against it. On a personal note, about a week ago, my mother and sister went to the clinic for a general check up and to get some blood work done. Once the results were out, the doctor advised both my mother and sister to head outside at least an hour a day because they were suffering my various vitamin deficiencies, one being vitamin D. The doctor went on to inform my mother that the number of benefits to the immune system and overall health from heading outdoors are unimaginable.

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Get Your Daily Dose of Vitamin D.

Your bones, blood cells and immune system rely on vitamin D. Additionally, it helps your body with the absorption of minerals such as calcium and phosphorus. Surprisingly, your body doesn’t require too much time outside to get the necessary amounts of sunlight. Five to fifteen minutes for two or three times a week in the summer is all you need. In the winter, with the overcast weather, you’ll need a bit more time outside.

Say Goodbye to Anxiety.

Pictures of nature, or a simple plant in the room or anything that resembles nature can make a person significantly less anxious, irritated and stressed. But there’s also another remedy for stress and anxiety; exercise. So get out of that room and go out for a walk or some indulge in some outdoor exercises instead of heading to the gym. Your body relies on a chemical called serotonin, also known as the happy chemical, because it raises your energy and keeps your mood calm, positive and focused. Guess what, a good dose of sunlight will help keep those serotonin levels up.

Reduce Inflammation.

Inflammation is a serious illness to deal with, especially if it goes into overdrive. It is associated with a variety of illnesses such as autoimmune disorders, inflammatory bowel disease, depression and cancer. However, prescribed medication or over the counter drugs are not the only solutions, just head outside and spend some time with Mother Nature.

One study revealed a comparison between students who spent time in the forests and those who spent time in the city, where those who spent time in the forest showed significantly lower levels of inflammation. Another study discussed that elderly patients who had spent a week long trip in the forest with Mother Nature came back with reduced signs of inflammation. 

Reduce Hypertension (HBP).

Suffering from hypertension or high blood pressure (HBP) isn’t some sort of myth or a health complication to tread lightly on and most of us know someone that suffers from it. Besides being a health complication, hypertension can also lead to heart attacks or strokes, and heart failure. Case studies have also found that hypertension transforms immune system cells that reside around cerebral blood vessels from protective cells into agents of cognitive decline.

A number of intensive studies found that walking lowers blood pressure. Moreover, findings also suggest walks result in a 15 percent decrease in stress hormone concentrations, a 4 percent decrease in average pulse and approximately 2 percent drop in blood pressure.

Cancer Prevention.

Taking a walk through beautiful, eye - stunning forests can help with preventing cancer? Preliminary studies suggest that spending time in nature, mainly forests, could potentially stimulate the body to produce and release anti - cancer proteins. The increase of levels of these proteins has been found to exist for up to seven days.

Japanese studies, where “shinrin - yoku” or “forest - bathing” is considered a form of traditional and preventive medicine, have found that areas that have large forest coverage show lower mortality rates from a variety of cancers. Though it is not a definitive conclusion because there is a wide range of factors, it is a promising and potentially revolutionary area for further research.

General Boost of the Immune System.

The activities that take place in cells associated with a forest’s possible anti - cancer effects also indicate a general boost of the immune system which increases the body’s natural ability to fight off illnesses such as the common cold or flu and other infections.

A 2010 review of research noted that all findings strongly suggest that forest environments have beneficial effects on the human immune system and immune functionality. However, researchers indicated that more research must be conducted on this aspect.