For the human body, nothing is more important than oxygen. Therefore, young children are often sent for a walk. But as a person grows up, he begins to spend less and less time outside of home and work, limiting himself to the road to the store, bus stop or car. Walking in the fresh air is extremely beneficial. Setting aside some time for this is important at any age. And if it’s difficult to force yourself, then the incentive will appear after reading information about how fresh air affects the body.

In modern living conditions, when a person is surrounded by endless stress and thoughts about problems, and everyone has to rush somewhere, many people completely forget about their health. And maintaining it is not that difficult. To do this, it is enough to spend a little more time in fresh, unpolluted air. It will help improve not only your health, but also influence many areas of your life. The importance of fresh air is much greater than many people think. So what are the benefits of walking outdoors? How do they affect a person?

Improves mood and relieves stress

Walking in the fresh air is very useful for low mood, severe stress, and fatigue. This is very important for modern man. A pleasant clean smell promotes relaxation and improves mood, and the smell of trees reduces fatigue and stress. When walking slowly, a person begins to feel calm and happy. He remains alone with the beauty of nature and his thoughts, which allows him to extract maximum benefits for the nervous system. A park is best for walking in the fresh, clean air.

interesting fact

Stanford University conducted research that proved that an hour and a half walk in nature reduces the activity of the area of ​​the brain that is responsible for negative emotions. Scientists have noted that people living in the countryside are less prone to negativity and depression.

Improve health

The main benefit of walking in the fresh air is its positive effect on overall health. Physical activity combined with a walk in nature helps strengthen the immune system, even during cold periods. Daily walks improve the functioning of the heart and blood vessels and lower blood pressure. Metabolism accelerates, which cannot be achieved by visiting a regular gym. Fresh atmospheric air helps plants produce phytoncides, which destroy tumor cells and reduce the risk of developing cancer if a person inhales them.

Fill with energy

If you regularly walk in the fresh air, the need for energy drinks will disappear. A person’s energy in conditions of the pure pleasant smell of nature and a beautiful view increases by 90% . If you want to drink another cup of coffee, you should try walking a little - the effect will be amazing. In addition, frequent physical activity tones the muscles, which also gives an additional boost of energy.

Improve sleep

Most people don't even consider the importance of fresh air for quality sleep. Those who spend more time outside the home sleep approximately ¾ hours longer than others. Their sleep is much stronger, and when they wake up, they feel much happier and more active. Walking in the fresh, cool air before bed is also important.

Improve brain function

If you want to become smarter and increase your productivity, then you need to spend more time outdoors. Short walks in parks or forests improve memory and increase concentration by about 20% . And fresh air is generally required for children with hyperactivity and attention deficit disorder, because... this is the best way to get them to focus.

interesting fact

American scientists compared the effects of walking and stretching exercises on brain function. For this purpose, two groups of people from 50 to 80 years old were selected. One had to do stretching exercises, the second had to spend as much time in the fresh street air as the first ones spend doing exercises. A year later, the results were summed up using special diagnostics: for those who walked, the brain increased in volume by 2% , which fell on areas responsible for memory and activity planning.

Makes a person more attractive

Walking in the fresh air allows you to get enough oxygen, which is extremely beneficial for the entire circulatory system. This results in a light blush, with which the skin looks more beautiful and the person takes on a rested appearance. Improving metabolism and removing toxins can also change your appearance in a positive direction, which makes fresh air even more beneficial. Regular walks burn calories, and a person begins to lose extra pounds. The benefits of walking are invaluable.

Strengthens family relationships

Walking does not have a direct impact on social life. However, the psychological state that is strongly influenced is very important for relationships with others. If you spend more time in the fresh air, it will become much easier for a person to communicate with loved ones. You can do this together. Then the health benefits of fresh air will be complemented by even more pleasant time with loved ones.

Features of the winter period

In winter, people experience even more stress than usual. New Year's bustle, cold, lack of vitamins - all this leads to unpleasant health problems. To correct this, you need to walk in fresh, cool air every day. There is no need to worry that you can catch a cold from a low temperature. Winter air has its own characteristics that are especially useful. And people usually get colds during the transition periods between summer and winter, and not during cold weather. Frost destroys all viruses, which reduces the risk of getting sick. What are the benefits of walking in the fresh, cold air in winter:

1. Fresh frosty air contains increased levels of oxygen. This improves: health, brain function, mood, appearance.
2. Severe cold hardens a person. If you walk more, your immune system will noticeably become stronger.
3. Walking in cold weather helps fight headaches and strengthens the heart.
4. Winter air in the evening guarantees even more sound sleep.
5. Low temperature maintains the tone of the nervous system, which enhances resistance to stress.
6. The air in winter cools the skin and saturates it with plenty of oxygen. This makes it smooth, elastic, beautiful, and also acquires a pink blush.

Spending some time outside during the winter is important. This will improve health and make a person happier.

interesting fact

Harvard researchers have proven that girls seem more attractive to men in the winter season, even taking into account a large amount of warm clothing. The reason is that in winter, men produce more sex hormones, and therefore they become more attentive to the appearance of the opposite sex.

Shinrin-yoku (forest bathing)

Shinrin-yoku- a way to prevent your health. It is also called "forest bathing" and translates as “bathing among the forests.” The homeland of Shinrin-yoku is Japan, whose inhabitants have always been very concerned about their health. This method of improving health involves slow walks in the forest, calm breathing and maximum relaxation while opening yourself to nature.

Why such walks through the forests are useful:

• getting rid of depression;
• decreased cortisol;
• relieving irritability;
• restoration of strength;
• decrease in blood pressure and pulse.

This is something that has been scientifically proven. But there is another reason why it is useful to walk in the forest according to the Japanese method: the phytoncides, which were already mentioned above, are present in the highest concentrations in the forest, which is why the risk of developing tumors from such walks is reduced to almost zero.

How long to walk?

How much time do you need to spend in the park walking for it to be beneficial? You can start with short 10 minute walks, and only then gradually increase this time. When the body gets used to it, the minimum time should be 30 minutes. Walking is recommended from 1 to 2 hours, but exactly how much time to spend on the street is up to the person to decide - you can even allocate 6 hours. It is important to do this daily. Morning or evening – it doesn’t matter.

The purpose of the walk is an opportunity to breathe calmly and relax. Therefore, it is best to walk slowly, sometimes speeding up your step to increase physical activity, but under no circumstances run. At the same time, you need to be as relaxed and calm as possible. The path should pass through places least polluted by cars and factories, i.e. parks or forests.

interesting fact

Scientists from the USA have come to the conclusion that a person needs to go for a walk every day for one hour. This means that you need to go through at least 5 km. They believe this is the best way to maintain heart health even in old age.

Resume

Fresh air is good for your health – there’s no arguing with that. Every person who cares about themselves should set aside a little time for a walk every day in order to cover their minimum distance and get a boost of energy and at the same time improve their health. And the best incentive is knowing why it’s good to walk outside every day. All that remains is to start.

You can start walking with your newborn baby from about the second week of his life. The first walk should not exceed 15 minutes. Every day you need to walk 5-10 minutes longer and gradually increase the duration of the walk to 2, or even 3 hours. Of course, in winter or simply in cold weather, walks should be somewhat shorter. Also, during a walk, you need to take into account the temperature in order to dress your baby correctly, because he still has poor control over his body temperature.

When can you start walking with your newborn baby?

If the mother is feeling normal and the weather is good outside, then you can go out for a walk with the baby already in the second week of his life. It's worth noting that this only applies to times when it's really warm outside. If the child was born in winter, late autumn or early spring, then it is worth holding off on walks for a few more days. If the frost outside is above 10 degrees, then you should forget about walking until the temperature rises a little.

Why should you take your child for a walk every day?

Both the child and the woman need fresh air, because it can increase appetite, improve blood circulation and well-being, have a positive effect on sleep, in addition, temperature changes are a kind of hardening of the body. If we talk about sunlight, it is needed in order for vitamin D to be produced in sufficient quantities.

How long should you walk with a newborn baby?

First of all, you should pay attention to weather conditions. Of course, in the summer a child can be outside all day long, but in winter this time should be limited to 1-2 hours, and it is better if you walk in winter 2-3 times for 30-40 minutes.

Sleeping on the balcony as an alternative to walking

If you want, you can put your baby to sleep in a stroller on the balcony. This way you can completely replace a walk if you feel unwell or want to do something around the house. Of course, this option is suitable only for those families who live in a relatively ecologically clean area, and the balcony does not face a polluted street. It is worth making sure that no foreign objects can get into the stroller, as they can greatly harm your child. To hear when your child wakes up, you can purchase a baby monitor. Then you won't need to run to the balcony every five minutes.

You should also worry about the baby's safety. You can leave the child alone only if he has learned to sit or get on all fours and can get out of the stroller on his own. Or you need to leave the child to sleep in a cradle from which he could not fall to the floor.

Why you shouldn't walk for a long time with your newborn

First of all, the duration of the walk depends entirely on the weather and how well the child adapts to the environment. You can start walking for 5-10 minutes and gradually increase it to several hours. Walking with a child for a very long time is not very convenient, because he needs to be fed quite often and it will be better if you divide the walk into several stages, which will be carried out between feedings. Feeding a child on the street is quite inconvenient. Of course, if you have a sling, then it is very easy to solve this problem in the warm season, but in winter you cannot do this.

Remember that the duration of walks cannot be increased very quickly, because the child must gradually adapt to new conditions. Initially, he must get used to the house, and only then to walks and the amount of space that now exists around him. If you do all this very abruptly, then the child may even experience psychological trauma, and no parent wants this.

As soon as mother and baby cross the threshold of their home together for the first time, doctors, friends, and relatives from all sides begin to actively insist on walks with the baby, and the longer the better. FOR WHAT?? - the question arises for almost all mothers, because where can a baby be as happy as at home? Moreover, if you live in a densely populated city, then what difference does it make, you can “take a walk” on the balcony? We will try to understand this issue in this article.

Did you go for a walk today? - the visiting nurse asked the young mother.

Of course, twice for two hours! On the balcony!

So we didn't go for a walk! The balcony is not THAT at all!

But what then, the question arises? What didn't you like about the balcony? The same fresh air for the baby, and free time for the mother. The baby is still small, he sleeps in his stroller, he doesn’t care. And an older child would rather play with his toys at home, and his mother will take care of things. Anything is better than messing around outside in the mud! Here are some reasons why you are wrong...

Why go for a walk with your child?

Harmful effects

Cleaning the lungs

Walking in the fresh air cleanses the lungs of accumulated dust. This is why it is so pleasant for us to breathe fresh air. A change in humidity and temperature is also very important; this has a hardening effect, but not only on the respiratory organs, but on the entire body as a whole.

Vitamins

For the full development and health of the baby, vitamin D is necessary. It is produced only in the skin under the influence of sunlight. It is important for the growth and development of the brain and bones, and is necessary from the first days of a baby’s life. Those rays that penetrate into our apartments through the windows no longer have the same power; they cannot trigger the production of this vitamin in the skin. Of course, children under three years of age are supposed to take this vitamin in the form of drops in the winter, but even if your baby takes them, then without additional exposure, that is, without walks, the benefit and benefit from it will be much less. Therefore, such children have a higher risk of developing rickets, dental problems, and even catching a cold is much easier for such children, since vitamin D protects the body from colds, eye and skin diseases.

Eye - diamond

At home, in the environment of nearby objects, the eyes work at half strength. The eyes are under a lot of stress. Ophthalmologists have long studied and recommended special gymnastics for the eyes in such cases: you need to look out the window into the distance, then look at a nearby object. It should be done regularly and for a certain amount of time. It’s difficult even for an adult to force himself to do it, let alone children. But in the fresh air, such gymnastics is done involuntarily and effortlessly. There's a bird flying, but there's a pebble lying there, etc. Therefore, walking is a kind of prevention of myopia, which cannot be repeated at home, even looking out the window.

Temper yourself if you want to be healthy

Many mothers refuse to take a walk with their child if, for example, it is raining or snowing outside. But in vain! Pediatricians have long been promoting the truth that a child should walk in any weather. All the natural adversities we so dislike - wind, snow, temperature fluctuations and others - are natural hardening factors. Of course, you shouldn’t go into pouring rain with an open stroller and without an umbrella! But with the right choice of equipment and a reasonable approach to safety measures, a walk in bad weather will only bring benefits to the baby. Walking in rainy weather is especially useful: all road and street dust is washed down, so even in the most densely populated metropolis in such weather you can breathe clean air.

Get well

Sometimes we hear from mothers a reason for not going for a walk with their baby, such as a stuffy nose or a slight cold. But this, on the contrary, is a reason to go for a walk, and not to refuse it! It is no secret that fresh air helps the body cope with diseases of the upper respiratory tract. And if a runny nose or cough gets worse outside, this only means that phlegm is coming out, which means recovery is underway.

Developing the mind

At home, even with a huge number of different toys, the child will never receive such an impetus and soil for development as on the street. If your baby is still too small and still sleeps in a stroller during walks, this does not mean that he is not developing. How many sounds does he hear! A bird chirped, the girls were chatting, a sweet smell wafted in, a breeze blew, a ray of sunlight fell on his face... This is all very important and necessary for the development of the baby! There is a lot of interesting and educational things in this still new world for him. But when he begins to explore the world on his own, sitting in a stroller or already on his own legs, then there is simply no limit to the scope for interesting things. Every second he receives information about everything he sees: houses, people, cars, weather... He learns to navigate in space, studies the properties of various objects and materials, communicates with friends in the sandbox.

How to start walking with your baby

You can walk with your baby from the first days if there are no medical contraindications. It is worth starting walks with 10-15 minutes a day and gradually increasing to 1-1.5 hours twice a day. Fresh air has such an effect on babies that they easily fall asleep outside. But if there is such an opportunity, then it is better to structure your walks so that the baby is at least a little awake. It will be both useful and interesting for him!

When not to walk with your child

After all of the above, you may be surprised that sometimes walking can cause harm. And this happens in the following cases: if the baby is sick. You can’t walk with your baby, especially if he has a “flying” disease, such as chickenpox, so as not to infect others. Also, you should not insist on a walk if the baby is weak, if something hurts, or if his temperature is above 37.5. In this case, he needs energy to fight the disease, and not to run around and play.

How to choose a place for a walk

With children, it is best to walk closer to nature and preferably away from highways. If you have to walk in the city, then when choosing a stroller, take into account this feature of your walks and choose a model in which the child will be positioned higher. Most dirt and dust accumulates about 80 cm above the ground, so the higher the chassis of the stroller, the better.

The balcony, whatever one may say, is not the best place for a walk, even if your balcony faces the park. Be careful, do not close the door to the balcony, you may not hear the sobbing child. But, unfortunately, you will not be able to completely secure your balcony during your absence; a cigarette butt thrown out by a neighbor may land on your sleeping child. Also, the balcony has a roof, and this is very depressing for the psyche. And if your balcony is glazed, then this is not considered a walk at all.

And for a mother whose children are already actively running and jumping, we only have one piece of advice left to give - don’t disturb them! Of course, the sight of a baby peacefully making Easter cakes in the sandbox next to his mother is so cute, but babies need activity so much. This develops them physically, develops motor skills, vestibular apparatus and much more! During the walk, your task is to ensure that the baby does not harm himself or others, give ideas for games, but under no circumstances shout “don’t jump,” “don’t run,” “don’t scream,” etc. Children whose mothers forbid them to frolic, that is, simply to be children, are somehow pitiful.

We hear the phrase “being outdoors is good for you” so often that we decided to find out if it really is true. In general, we figured it out - it’s really useful. In this material you will find five confirmations of this.

1. Walking strengthens the immune system

In Japan, there has long been a method that not only helps relieve stress, but also has a positive effect on the immune system. It is called Shinrin-yoku (sinrin-yoku), or forest bathing - the literal translation is “bathing among the forests”. An article prepared by the Nippon Medical School in Tokyo states that a walk in the forest can increase the amount of antitumor substances and increase the activity of natural so-called killer cells, which are aimed at destroying tumor cells. So how should you “take a bath” in the forest to achieve a similar effect? Researchers describe this process as follows: “take a walk in the forest to relax, inhaling deeply the air, which contains special volatile substances - phytoncides (essential oils of trees).” It's all about these phytoncides - they kill and/or suppress the growth and development of pathogenic bacteria.

In addition to reducing stress and strengthening the immune system, the researchers noted that walking in the forest leads to a decrease in the production of the hormone cortisol. On our own behalf, we would like to add that a strong immune system depends on many factors - exercise, good sleep, healthy eating, etc. Therefore, you should not rush from one extreme to another.

2. Reduce the risk of developing depression

In autumn and winter, many people are overcome by a bad mood, which can slowly develop into. To prevent this from happening, scientists advise taking walks in the fresh air as often as possible. According to a study at Stanford University, a 90-minute walk in the woods reduces activity in a specific area of ​​the brain that is active when a person experiences negative emotions or depression. Also, the likelihood of depression depends on where you live. Researchers note: those people who live in the city are prone to anxiety and affective disorders by 20% and 40%, respectively, more than those who live in rural areas. In principle, this is understandable even without various studies - traffic jams, bustle, queues, problems at work. Few people will be able to remain calm and control their emotions, but this can and should be learned. How - we told in.

3. Improve memory and concentration

Do you have a difficult exam coming up soon? Go out into nature if you feel like you can't learn anything else. A study conducted at the University of Michigan found the following: walking through the forest, even in winter, helps improve memory and attention by 20% compared to walking around the city. Additionally, another study published in the American Journal of Public Health found that children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder tend to focus better when they are outdoors.

4. Increase sleep duration

Healthy and sound sleep begins with going outside and meeting the sun. According to a study published in The Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, people who spend a lot of time outdoors and in rooms with natural light sleep on average 46 minutes more per night. The study also found that in addition to sleep, participants experienced improved mood, were more physically active and were overall happier.

Daily walks are also the key to our health. No less than proper nutrition or good sleep. However, how many minutes or hours do you spend outdoors each day? Most people consider walking from home to work and back, yes, even to the shops. But these are not full-fledged walks, and there is not much benefit from them.

Be sure to walk in parks every day, where the air is at least a little cleaner, where there are a lot of trees, where it is not so noisy. While you are walking, remain silent - contemplate, enjoy the rustling of leaves, the blowing of the wind, the beauty of the world around you. Mentally distance yourself from problems and worries. Give yourself a break.

Such walks will bring many health benefits:

1) Stress relief
During long walks, the functioning of the nervous system is normalized, the heart rate decreases, and you relax your soul. It has been scientifically proven that people who walk every day almost do not suffer from depression and attacks of apathy/melancholy, etc. They are quick-witted and difficult to offend or anger.

2) Mental relief
Imagine how nice it would be to take a walk after a hard day at work, especially if it was a tough one. There are moments when you cannot relax, your brain seems to go blank and you cannot concentrate, you just want to switch off... A walk will relieve you of this state. Don't be lazy.

3) Improved memory and vision
Scientific research was also conducted and the results showed that those who take leisurely walks and contemplate the world around them every day have improved memory and vision. Of course, in order for your performance to really improve, it is recommended to walk in the forest or at least in quiet, uncrowded parks, for example, early in the morning, when the city is still sleeping.

4) Creative thinking
Being in nature increases your ability to think creatively. It’s not for nothing that many creative people love nature so much and find inspiration. While walking, great ideas may come to mind, and you may suddenly realize a solution to your problem.

5) Cheerfulness and lightness
Remember that movement is our life! Anyone who walks every day feels cheerful and light throughout the day! Tom doesn’t feel like sleeping after lunch, his productivity and efficiency increases, along with his mood!

Friends, take more walks and enjoy nature. This is a fun way to take care of your health!