Nature really is the best medicine. And with winter finally in the rearview, we’re celebrating the fact that spring has sprung with an outdoor appreciation post. Whether you’re working out or simply basking in the warm sunshine, nature is an incredibly powerful source of healing. Read the tips below and find your perfect excuse to take a lunch break outside today.

Find Calm

Medical professionals prescribe getting outside to their patients. Nature is often associated with having a calming effect that helps improve your mental (and physical) health, especially if exercise is involved. Nature helps with stress relief—it only takes a few minutes for the benefits of being outdoors to kick. When the air fills our lungs with the clean oxygen they need to function properly, our blood pressure and heart rate become regulated. It’s even proven to help with the effects of ADD! 

Improve Health

Our bodies need Vitamin D in order to build and maintain healthy bones, muscles, teeth and more. It also helps fight against diseases by strengthening our immune systems. Even though this nutrient is a key ingredient to having a healthy body, over 40% of the population is Vitamin D deficient. The quick fix? Get outside. Our bodies naturally produce this vitamin when exposed to the sun. It doesn’t take hours of sunbathing, just 10 to 30 minutes a few times per week will do the trick.

Boost Happiness

Breathing in some fresh air helps to get more oxygen in your brain, which raises levels of serotonin and dopamine that result in a major mood boost. Seratonin is a neurotransmitter that affects everything from appetite to social behavior, so it’s important to keep levels regulated to keep us happy and healthy. Whether you’re working out or not, simply spending time in nature will help with our well-being.