7 Reasons A Camping Trip Might Be The Health Fix You Need
Imagine a quiet spot in the woods. There are no traffic sounds or smartphone alerts, just the gentle breeze rustling the leaves overhead and a few cheerful birds singing their telltale songs. You look down to check your watch, but it doesn’t matter what time it is—your only plans for the rest of the day are reading in your hammock and, when it’s dark, gathering with your best friends around a campfire.
Sounds pretty great, right? It’s not just you. Science tells us it’s truly beneficial to our health to spend time in nature. Here’s why we recommend filling your nature prescription as soon as possible.
1. FRESH AIR AND SUNSHINE
Vitamin D is crucial to humans’ health and happiness. Without it, we tend to suffer from fatigue, depression, and even decreases in bone density. There’s no better source of this critical element of our well-being than good old sunshine, which you’ll find in spades on the trail or at camp. Bonus: all the trees surrounding your favorite spot are hard at work 24/7 churning out fresh oxygen.
2. LESS STRESS
The research is in: people who spend more time in nature—even as little as 15 minutes, according to one Finnish study—feel less stressed than their counterparts who stay inside. Time outside can lower our heart rates and blood pressure, not to mention the feelings of anxiety that crop up when we spend days on end working and commuting. Several recent academic studies have found that people reported uplifted moods after spending just a couple of hours outside.
3. FORCED UNPLUGGING
How many times have you told yourself you’d put down your phone, only to look at the time and realize another 20 minutes have gone by? It’s so easy to get caught up in an endless scroll. But time in nature (i.e., time spent away from cell service) doesn’t give you a choice: when you have zero bars, there’s nothing to do but engage with your actual, physical surroundings. When was the last time you got a break from your email for a few days?
4. VIGOROUS EXERCISE
Whether it’s a brisk walk, a long hike, or carrying gear from your car to the campsite and setting up a tent, getting outside is almost always linked with movement. Spending time exploring the great outdoors can help reduce the risks of cardiovascular disease and diabetes—and it’s way more fun than working out at the gym. Plus, the more calories you burn, the hungrier you’ll be later for s’mores around the fire.
5. SOCIAL TIME
Time in nature has proven to reduce feelings of isolation, and it doesn’t hurt that the best trips are shared with friends. Experiencing new things with loved ones tends to bring people closer, and every camping trip is something of an adventure. The American Journal of Public Health published a study indicating that socializing can lengthen our lifespans. That’s right: a night of laughter and tall tales around the campfire is truly beneficial to your health.
6. KEEPING IT FRESH
Animals kept in cages tend to get bored and restless, and humans are no different. New experiences are key to making life feel meaningful, and academic studies run at the Universities of Texas and Michigan have shown us that mixing things up keeps brains healthier and happier. The Michigan study even showed that when people took a nature walk, they performed 20% better on a subsequent memory test than those who didn’t.
7. SLEEP IS KEY
The Sleep Foundation says the average adult needs between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night. Between the stressors and responsibilities of life in the city, it can be tough to make this happen, even if you’re technically in bed for that long. But in a tent, the white noise of the wind in the trees or a nearby stream, coupled with the fact that you’ve left all that behind for the weekend, can make for a perfect night’s sleep—making it possible to reset and come home recharged.
