3 Advantages of a Life Plan Community vs. Senior Living Apartments

Why Getting Outside Could Benefit Your Health in Retirement

When’s the last time you spent intentional time outdoors? Whether you are a nature lover or consider yourself more “indoorsy,” spending some free time outside can significantly benefit your physical and mental health. Even taking activities you normally enjoy beyond your front door can have serious wellness benefits. Let’s learn more about why getting outside could benefit you in retirement.

Benefits of Time in Nature

If you consider how you felt the last time you took a walk outside or spent time sitting under your favorite shade tree, chances are you experienced some positive emotions when you walked back inside your home. Recent research shows that getting outside and connecting to nature can decrease stress and reduce the physical responses to stress.

Just 5 minutes outside can regulate our sympathetic nervous system, which means our body stops our natural and sometimes harmful responses to stress. When we lower stress in the body, we see physical outcomes that result in lowered blood pressure, blood sugar, and heart rate.

In addition, spending time outside consistently can lead to reduced depression and anxiety. It can also reduce the risk of chronic diseases and contribute to longer life expectancy.

But the benefits of spending time outside don’t stop there. Nature has been linked to enhanced creativity, memory, and attention span. And it should come as no surprise that all that outside time leads to a great night’s sleep, improving sleep quality and consistency.

Essentially, spending time outside among trees and green space, whether it’s in a favorite park, walking path, or forest, can enhance your wellness and lead to better health outcomes over time.

Bringing the Benefits Indoors

What if you can’t get outside as often as you want? You can still bring the energy and benefits of nature into your home with a few of our tips:

  • Bask in natural sunlight as soon as you are up for the day. Open up your curtains as you wake up and if possible, step onto your patio or balcony to catch some of the morning sunlight before you brew your coffee.
  • When the weather is agreeable, open up the windows in your home. A breeze of fresh air can mimic the one you would get if you were sitting outside on your favorite park bench.
  • Bring nature inside by caring for houseplants. Work with your local garden center to choose potted plants that will thrive in your home. If you don’t have a natural green thumb, it’s okay! You can learn as you go and tending to houseplants can help to decrease your stress while boosting cognitive health as you learn a new skill.

Connecting to Nature in Retirement Communities

If you live in a retirement community, you often have access to amenities that make enjoying nature even easier than if you lived elsewhere. For example, your retirement community might offer lovely landscaped green spaces and walking trails, making catching up with a friend during a stroll outside a delightful part of your day.

Retirement communities also often feature shared green spaces for residents and guests to enjoy. These might include patios and gazebos complete with cozy rocking chairs, resident garden plots, ponds or other water features, and a pool. You can also explore new hobbies or pursue favorite sports with outdoor spaces such as bocce ball courts.

Finally, retirement communities offer al fresco dining in some of their onsite dining venues. When possible, take your delicious meal outside, dining with neighbors while enjoying the evening sunset.

It doesn’t require week-long camping trips in a forest to reap the hearty benefits of spending time in nature. Instead, try to get outdoors at least a few times per day, perhaps reading your newspaper in the courtyard or sipping your evening cocktail near the colorful garden in your community. You’ll feel the health benefits sooner than you might have expected!


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