The Real Reason It's So Important To Get Outside, According To Scientists

The great outdoors offer more than just mental health benefits. With wide open spaces, fresh air and a greater sense of presence, your morning walk outside has some serious advantages. You've likely experienced the slowing of your breath and the difference in your mood after you've taken a stroll under the sun. Turns out, there's tons of scientific evidence to prove this shift as well.

According to Mindbodygreen, spending time in nature lowers levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, as well as blood pressure and helps spur Vitamin D production in the body. But, beyond these scientifically proven benefits, spending time outside also has a metaphysical healing component involving frequency. "The Earth has its own frequency, called a Schumann Resonance, which is about 7.8 Hertz," Kristen Willeumier, Ph.D., neuroscientist and author of Biohack Your Brain tells the outlet. 

Measured in the 1950s, the Schumann Resonance fluctuates depending on what's going on in the atmosphere. Plus, it can seriously impact the way we feel in our bodies. Often referred to as Earthing, placing your feet on the Earth and walking amongst the trees is one of the fastest ways to harmonize yourself with the planet's frequency. While traditional doctors are on board only up to the point of its therapeutic benefits, Willeumier explains, the "[Schumann Resonance] puts us into the theta brainwave state."

When you walk outside, you can tell that things just feel different. The air hits your skin, your lungs breathe in fresh oxygen and your surroundings just seem to impact your body. That's because the energy outside is different — thanks to the planet's natural rhythms. Healthline explains that the charge of the Earth impacts the central connectivity system within the body. Much like antioxidants, these benefits increase immunity, research finds.

Furthermore, this effect may be responsible for the healing and pain-relieving attributes many experience after a grounding session. Indeed, the outlet notes, many studies showed their participants had lowered levels of depression, fatigue, pain and stress following their time walking in nature. To best reap these benefits, walking without your shoes on helps to increase the connectivity between the Earth and your body. Leave your phone at home and enjoy the great outdoors. 

Mindbodygreen suggests running outside to get your daily earthing in or forest bathing — simply walking slowly through a wooded area and looking up at the trees. You can also garden, swim or take your latest book outside. Any way you look at it, being outside more frequently can seriously benefit your mental and physical health.