Outdoor Activities That Can Improve Your Well-Being

By Pacific College - April 22, 2016
Outdoor Activities That Can Improve Your Well-Being

April 22, 2016 is Earth Day, a day dedicated to celebrating our collective home. Most people want to spend the day outdoors to soak in the benefits of being outside. The health benefits of nature are amazingly powerful. So what is on your Earth Day activities bucket list this year? Here are a few of the things that we plan to do on Earth Day 2016.

1. Start a journey of a thousand miles

Think back to January and your list of resolutions. Did you abandon them? If so, pick them up again and get to work. Earth Day 2016 is the perfect day to get healthy. Go for a long walk and make a commitment to yourself to celebrate your good healthy body by being out in nature. Walk for 30 minutes five times per week and do so outdoors.

2. Decompress away from society

Our nation has a ton of national parks that are begging to be explored. Take a road trip or day trip and explore these national treasures. For fun, bring a field guide or two and your camera. If it makes you happy, share your journey on social media so your adventure can inspire others.

3. Socialize this Earth Day

Plan a group event like a lunchtime group walk at work, school or home. Make a commitment to walk to lunch, to the grocery store, or to run errands. Get the whole gang involved and take in the health benefits of nature.

4. Connect with your inner scientist

April 22, 2016, may be Earth Day but it is also an active time in nature. Flowers are blooming, birds are migrating and insects are emerging. Learn how to identify tree or plants based on their blooms. Learn how to identify birds based on their coloration or song. Learn exactly which creepy crawlie just skittered across your path. Botany, ornithology and entomology are handy skills to have. For fun, set up a bird feeder and log which birds come to your home. Start a journal about the creatures that live in your trees. Learn the names of butterflies or participate in one of the many national campaigns that rely on backyard botanists, ornithologists and entomologists to help them track the migration of plants, animals and insects. You’re part of this earth, too!

5. Teach someone something about the earth

Did you know that granite is the solidified remains of the core of a volcano? It is actually the hardened and cooled magma from inside a volcano that did not erupt. That stuff your counter is made out of is from magma. How cool is that? Learning little things like that is not only healthy for your brain it helps you appreciate the natural world all around you. Another little geological tidbit for you: Marble was once limestone. It changed during the metamorphic process. You see, the earth recycles rocks. Learning new things is amazing. What can you learn come Earth Day 2016?

There are so many ways to focus on your health on Earth Day. Make it a career. If you’re passionate about helping others maintain a healthier, more balanced lifestyle, learn more about becoming a student in one of PCOM’s acupuncture, massage therapy or holistic nursing programs.

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Pacific College

Pacific College of Health and Science (PCHS) is a leading institution in holistic and integrative healthcare education, deeply rooted in Chinese medicine since 1986. As the largest school of Chinese medicine in the U.S., PCHS offers a wide range of innovative programs, including online and on-campus degrees in holistic nursing, massage therapy, and integrative medicine.

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