In bad weather there is really no desire to go out for a walk. Even meetings with friends are more and more often transferred from the street to indoors – at home or in a cafe, because a walk in the cold brings no pleasure, especially if it is not just cold outside, but also blowing strong wind and snowing.
However, be aware: A long absence of walks in the fresh air has a negative impact on your health!
First of all, staying at home for a long time has a negative effect on the immune system, which can lead to frequent colds.
On the contrary, fresh air and exposure to different temperatures strengthens the immune system. Therefore, do not avoid walking in the cold season and remember that dry and warm indoor air is a favorable environment for pathogenic germs and viruses.
Also, staying at home for long periods of time can lead to a deterioration in the quality of sleep.
Daylight, which is known to produce serotonin while also suppressing melatonin release, is crucial for you to fall asleep peacefully in the evening. If you are mostly in rooms with artificial light away from fresh air, you will feel tired during the day and find it difficult to adjust to sleep at night.
Staying indoors for long periods of time reduces brain performance, while walking and oxygen help to stimulate mental activity and increase concentration. Moreover, scientists conducted a study, according to the results of which people who spent 4 days in nature, 50% better coped with the test on creativity. This confirms that being outdoors develops creative thinking.
Apathy, laziness and fatigue often accompany people who are rarely outdoors. The habit of spending time at home leads to a decrease in vitamin D levels. The latter, in turn, plays an important role in strengthening bones, preventing cardiovascular disease and brain function.
Also, with low physical activity, muscle tone decreases, and thus strength and endurance are reduced. Metabolic disorders in the body can develop gradually.
But what will happen to a person if he/she not only stays in a closed space, but also stops communicating with real, living people? What will his/her loneliness lead to?
Examples of consequences I will give below. These are answers sent to me by real, "living" people who have had the experience of staying inside for various personal reasons. So here are the consequences of being lonely without socializing:
- "it became difficult to communicate, sentence construction changed (speech slowed down)";
- "apathy, doubts about the meaning of life";
- "difficulty falling asleep, disturbed sleep";
- "depression, lack of desire to get in order (hygiene, procedures)";
- "disruption of sleep and wakefulness biorhythms, overeating";
- "panic attacks, heightened senses and odors".
And these are just some of the consequences of being alone for too long.
Why should you walk even in winter?
Regular physical activity, even as light as a walk in the fresh air, reduces the risk of obesity, diabetes and other chronic diseases.
Walking has a good effect on the state of the heart and blood vessels, respiratory system, has a stimulating effect on the digestive tract, improves the quality and length of life. And when you walk outside rather than on a treadmill, your body is oxygenated, your immune defenses and cognitive functions are activated.
You've probably noticed that after a walk, your mood improves, anxiety goes away, and it's easier to focus and remember new information.
Walking also strengthens bones, muscles and joints, regular walks are a good prevention of spinal problems, and if you do, for example, Nordic walking, you will activate not only the muscles of the legs, but also the arms.
How much time you should walk each day is an individual question. To get into the habit of regular walking, you can start with 30 minutes a day. This is the minimum necessary to support your immune system, get oxygen, and switch your attention from everyday activities to rest and relaxation.
Be healthy! Take a walk, go to the store, breathe fresh air!