4 Health Benefits of Enjoying the Great Outdoors with Limited Mobility
Albert Einstein once said, “look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.”
Spending time outside on a regular basis has many health benefits, however, this is not always easy for people with limited mobility. As mobility scooters and wheelchairs become more lightweight, it’s becoming increasingly easier for people with limited mobility to travel further on their own.
Once outside there is something tranquil about being surrounded by green foliage or listening to a soothing river. While it’s great to walk along a nature trail or be at the seaside, just taking the time to relax in the garden or read at a local park can work wonders on your health. It gets you away from the TV, computer, tablet or mobile phone.
In fact, the “nature connection” can help reduce stress and depression, improve sleep, and aid general health as we discuss in this article.
Helps the immune system fight illness
No matter how much we scrub and clean our homes it is very difficult to eliminate all the dust particles, animal hair, and general stuffiness. By taking a trip outside it gives us the time to breathe fresh air which helps clean the lungs.
Vitamin D is essential to our health and we get most of it through exposure to sunlight. The NHS website says, “We need vitamin D to help the body absorb calcium and phosphate from our diet. These minerals are important for healthy bones, teeth, and muscles.”
Additionally, there are many other scientific studies that show that vitamin D may help fight certain conditions such as cancer and heart attacks.
Reduce stress and depression
Getting out and about, whether that’s in a forest, the rolling countryside, or a nearby park can help enhance positivity. As humans, we are genetically programmed to find trees, plants, water, and the natural world stimulating.
A recent study in the Journal of Extreme Physiology & Medicine found that “All types of green exercise activities also improve self-esteem and negative mood subscales, such as tension, anger, and depression.”
This has a cascading effect because reducing stress, anger, and depression can then help to lower blood pressure, heart rate, and muscle tension.
Turn that frown upside down
We’ve all experienced the rejuvenated feeling when the sun is shining through our bedroom window. It is the light that helps to elevate our mood and when we are enjoying the outdoors it takes us away from the distractions of everyday life.
Being at one with nature, listening to birds tweeting or trees rustling can help us to focus on the present moment and to process the things that matter to us.
Something simple, like getting out of the house for a short period of time every day can have a huge effect on our wellbeing.
Improves Sleep
Being in the natural world and away from artificial light can help to reset the body’s circadian rhythm which is basically our internal clock. Have you ever wondered why you experience ‘a slump’ in the afternoon? (usually just after lunch!) Well, it’s all part of our natural rhythm over a 24-hour period.
Basically, we are wired to sleep when it’s dark and awake when it’s light outside. But with the advancement in technology (computer screens or checking mobile phones just before sleep) our internal clock is sometimes out of sync with the world around us.
So, take that mobility scooter or wheelchair outside whenever possible – it may help you get some extra sleep.
Lightweight mobility scooters are a great way to help those with limited mobility get outside on a regular basis. Making use of a wheelchair or lightweight mobility scooter can help you retain your independence and travel that little bit further.
Are you struggling to get outside? At Lightweight Scooters we have a wide range of lightweight mobility scooters that can help. Please call us on 0333 414 1881 or complete our contact us form and a member of our friendly team will be in touch.
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