Fun And Healthy Spring Activities

September 10, 2023

Winter is notorious for its short, dark, and cold days. This combination leads most individuals to remain inside, be less active, and lose focus of their health and wellness goals. As soon as spring rolls around, most are ready to get back on track, get outside, and get active. Fortunately, there are tons of fun and healthy spring activities to help you do just that. When you get active, it causes a ripple effect and inspires everyone around you to do the same. Use these suggestions to improve your physical fitness and encourage those around you.

Explore The Forest Or Go For A Nature Walk

A little time outdoors to take a walk and enjoy nature is some of the best medicine you can get. And, no, it’s not just a cliché. A recent study has revealed taking the time to explore the forest or a nature walk is one of the healthiest activities you can do. In fact, this fun and healthy spring activity offers benefits including preventing cancer, reducing stress, helping with depression, improving cognitive function, lowering blood pressure, managing weight and reducing loneliness.

Surprisingly enough, the aroma of the forest is actually one of the biggest factors contributing to all of these benefits. Most well-established forests are full of mature trees, including pine, fir, cedar, and cypress. These varieties of trees contain the phytoncides found to decrease the stress hormone cortisol. So don’t just go for a walk outside, find a forest to stroll through and breathe deeply.

Gardening

Gardening not only offers the benefits of a fresh harvest to enjoy, but it also provides a variety of health benefits. Being outdoors in the sunshine while cultivating a garden increases your calcium levels, which strengthens your bones and immune system. This form of activity has also been found to lower the risk of dementia by thirty-six percent. It also has mood-boosting and stress-reducing benefits and can help combat loneliness.

If you want to get the biggest benefit from this springtime activity, find a few friends or a whole community who enjoy gardening as well. The company of others in combination with the sun exposure and aerobic exercise maximizes the benefits of gardening.

Go For A Bike Ride

Regular physical activity has the benefits of protecting you from many major diseases, including obesity, heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. So if you want to get active and give yourself a health boost, go for a bike ride. This physical activity has the added benefit of being low impact, so it’s easier on your joints and the rest of your body than several other activities.

Cycling is also a great springtime activity that doesn’t require a lot of skill and gives you the opportunity to find and explore new places. You can also easily incorporate bike riding into your daily routine to make it a time-efficient activity by using it as a mode of transportation or by riding a stationary bike while reading or studying.

Rollerblading

Keeping things interesting is the best way to stick to a wellness routine and stay active. Incorporating rollerblading into your routine is a great way to do just that. Not only is blading fun, but it also offers a slew of health benefits. In fact, research indicates rollerblading is one of the best exercises to build muscle. It’s a great exercise for strengthening the upper legs, buttocks, hips and lower back. It is also a great activity to help you maintain your weight and improve your cardiovascular health.

Much like biking, rollerblading is an effective low impact exercise. It’s relatively easy on the joints and may even reduce your risk of knee injury. Plus, blading is one of those workouts that feels more like fun than exercise. Just be sure to wear the appropriate safety equipment, like a helmet and knee pads, particularly when rollerblading outside.

Spring Cleaning Inside And Outside

While it’s really in your best interest to make cleaning a regular habit, spring cleaning inside and outside is a great way to spruce up your home and get some added health benefits from it. Especially if you tackle several tasks at once that get you up and moving around, cleaning your home is an effective fun and healthy spring activity.

Spring cleaning offers many other health benefits as well. Cleaning and dusting can reduce respiratory issues by removing dust and dander from the environment. It can also help improve concentration by getting rid of unnecessary clutter and junk. It also provides the benefit of reducing hazards, like falls, with reduced clutter and better placement of rugs and other items. All things considered, cleaning is a great way to benefit your home and your health - in the spring and all year long.

MORE FROM HealthPrep