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When asked, a lot of people probably wouldn’t consider themselves to be particular lovers of the great outdoors. They will spend most of the time indoors, even when the weather’s great. Yet going outdoors more often is something we should all try to do – it’s good for our physical health as it usually involves at least a little exercise (more so that staying indoors, at least), and it’s good for our mental health because it improves the mood and reduces stress. With that in mind, here are some ideas to help you enjoy the outdoors more so you can do there when you can.

Dress Appropriately

Sometimes the reason that someone might not be so fond of being outside is that they find themselves subject to various forms of injury. They might get sunburned, bitten by bugs, scratched by brambles, and their feet might start to ache. This is not the fault of the outdoors; this is all due to not dressing appropriately.

Just because you’re outside and just because the weather seems good, that doesn’t mean you can necessarily wear shorts and a t-shirt. On the beach, this would be fine (although you’ll have to cover up your bare skin using sunscreen), but when you’re going on a hike or a bike ride, it’s a bad idea. It’s much better to wear long sleeves and cover your legs to protect yourself. You should also wear a hat and sunglasses.

Stay Hydrated 

It’s crucial to your overall health and wellbeing to stay hydrated even when you’re not outside, but if you do plan to enjoy some fresh air, make sure you have a bottle of water with you. Keeping the body hydrated means you are more able to stay alert, and your muscles and joints will work better too, meaning you can move more comfortably for longer. 

Because you won’t be able to just stop what you’re doing and grab a glass of water from the faucet, taking a reusable water bottle in your bag along with some healthy snacks is ideal. Perhaps you could make some sandwiches using this cashew cream recipe. You can then enjoy yourself in the fresh air for much longer. 

Start Slowly 

If you’re very much into being outdoors and you spend as much time there as possible, then you’ll already be used to what the elements can throw at you, and you’ll have built up a tolerance, enabling you to stay outside for a lot longer. 

If, however, you spend most of your time indoors, but you want to start getting outside, a good way to do it is to start slowly. In this way, you can be sure that you’re not going to overdo things, which can put you off the idea entirely. Just go outside for ten to 15 minutes to begin with. Take a slow walk around the block or a trip to your local park, for example, before you head off into the mountains for a full-on hike. In this way, you can build up to bigger trips and gradually start to love being outside.