Daily life in America often feels like it moves very fast and it can feel difficult to fit everything into your day. Between work, socializing, looking after your family, and traveling between all these things, it’s hard to find time to take a break.
However, this can have a big impact on your health, and not spending enough time outside is a big part of this. This is why it is worrying that Americans spend 98% of their time indoors.
This means that a lot of Americans miss out on some of the best benefits of fresh air. So what are these? Read on to find out some of the best fresh air health benefits!
Fresh Air Clears Your Lungs
Spending long periods of time indoors affects the air around you. As you breathe out, you release gases that your body doesn’t need to survive.
As a result, the balance of oxygen, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen in indoor air is often suboptimal. This has a big impact on what is happening inside your body.
The air outdoors has much higher levels of oxygen, especially in the open countryside. Higher levels of oxygen help your lungs’ blood vessels to dilate. This boosts the cleansing and repair of your lung tissue and improves how well they exchange gases.
Cleaning up your lungs is one of the massive health benefits of fresh air.
Fresh Air is Important for Your Mental Health
When we talk about health we often focus on physical well-being but your mental health is equally important. In fact, if your mental health is in shape this can make it easier to look after the rest of your body.
There are loads of great mental health benefits of fresh air.
Stepping outside for a walk and some fresh air can create a much-needed break in a busy schedule. However, the fresh air also triggers a chemical reaction in your brain.
Oxygen promotes the production of serotonin, which is your ‘feel good’ chemical. This leaves you feeling happy and calm, so it can have a huge effect on your mood.
It Can Give You More Energy and Focus
Spending time outdoors can also really improve your mental capacity because of the effect that oxygen has on your brain.
Having higher levels of oxygen in the air around you mean that more of it can circulate around your brain. This leaves you feeling more energized, improves concentration, and boosts your memory.
Your brain needs a certain amount of oxygen to function properly. This is why being surrounded by low-quality air can leave you feeling lethargic.
Fresh Air Lowers Your Heart Rate and Blood Pressure
Oxygen plays a vital role in the functioning of your body, which means it needs to reach every cell that you have. Your heart helps to deliver oxygen around your body by pumping blood around it. This is why looking after your heart is an absolute must.
However, if your blood oxygen levels are low, your heart has to work a lot harder to make sure oxygen gets where it needs to go. This increases your heart rate and your blood pressure. Over time, this can damage the arteries that carry blood around your body and can lead to serious complications.
One of the benefits of being outside is that you have access to a good quality supply of oxygen. This oxygenates your blood and so that your heart can relax, therefore lowering your heart rate and your blood pressure in one go.
It Speeds Up Healing Processes
One of the roles that oxygen plays in your body is healing. Whether you are recovering from an injury or an illness, the cells in your body need oxygen to repair effectively. A lack of access to oxygen will slow down this process significantly.
This is why it is important to get fresh air even if you are feeling unwell. If you are too ill to leave the house, opening the windows and letting a breeze in can do the world of good. Or sitting outside of your home for short periods of time can really help.
If you have a flesh wound, such as a cut or graze, exposing it to clear air can also help it heal. This is why it is a good idea not to keep injuries covered unless there is a serious infection risk or they are still bleeding.
It Can Improve Your Digestion
You might be surprised to find out that another one of fresh air benefits’ is to do with healthy digestion. This is because going outside, allows our body to take a break from sitting behind a desk.
This has a big impact on what is happening inside your body. While working, a lot of your blood flow gets sent to your brain. Or if you are feeling stressed, your body can go into survival mode which sends blood to your muscles.
This happens because your body is trying to focus energy where it seems to be needed most. However, this can result in other areas of your body missing out on good quality blood flow.
Getting up and walking around helps to rebalance the blood flow in your body. This means that your digestive system and intestines will get their fair share and this helps you to digest properly.
Enjoy the Benefits of Fresh Air Today!
As you can see, fresh air can have a great positive impact on your body. As well as helping to clear your mind, the benefits of fresh air will leave your body functioning more healthily than ever. So what are you waiting for?
For more great advice on staying healthy, check out these foods that will help you to look after your body!