Fresh Air and Daylight

fresh airIt may come as a real surprise, but getting out of the house and enjoying some fresh air and natural daylight can be a great benefit to your health and your figure.

There is a lot to be said for the health benefits of getting out of the house to enjoy the natural daylight and breathe the fresh air. Going outdoors each day for a while is good for you on a variety of different levels, some of which you may not be aware of.

From a weight loss standpoint, it is a very positive thing to do each day and really can help you to lose a few more pounds over time. Let's take a closer look at why this is and the several positive benefits of undertaking this simple yet effective practice.

Benefit to Metabolism

Understanding that you need to ramp up your metabolism to burn more calories is the first clue as to one of the major benefits to getting outdoors and filling your lungs with fresh air. Your metabolism responds to the increase in oxygen that you take in when you are outdoors and when you get active by walking briskly, running or doing some other activity.

The increase in muscle activity requires more energy, which is where the calorie burning party comes into play. The difference between exercising indoors and outdoors is that indoors there is less oxygen in the air for your body to use to burn the calories to provide energy. You actually have more energy for exercising outdoors thanks to the higher levels of oxygen.

The only time this is not a factor is when you live in a built-up area where there is a lot of air pollution, or if you live at very high altitude where there is less oxygen available.

Mood Enhancing

Natural daylight exposure has another positive effect on our bodies that enable us to exercise more effectively. That is exposure to sunlight or strong daylight boosts our natural production of the feel good hormone called serotonin. This is a mood enhancer that makes us feel good, positive and raises our motivation.

When we feel good, we are inspired to strive for greater achievements. In exercising, it means going to that extra mile that makes all the difference to our physical health, size and appearance.

Vitamin Booster

Exposure to sunlight has another important benefit in that it causes our bodies to manufacture their own vitamin D. This vitamin is important for improving absorption of calcium for stronger bones but its presence also benefits the weight loss process.

Studies have revealed that people lacking in this vitamin are more prone to gain weight. While those with normal levels are more likely to maintain a healthy body weight and a slimmer, leaner physical figure.

Attitude Changer

motivationLastly, the very act of getting outdoors into the daylight has a beneficial effect on our general attitude toward our health. This works simply by altering our perception of the importance of activity.

When we are indoors, it is natural to sit somewhere and not do any activity. Watching a TV show is a common practice and when one TV show ends, the next one starts and you find its very easy to lose several hours like this.

On the other hand, when you make the decision to get up out of your seat and go outdoors, there is no temptation to sit anywhere, but instead you feel more like doing something, even if it's only walking around the block or to the local store or other similar activity.

So do your health and your figure some good today. Allocate a half hour or even an hour to get away from the computer, the TV or whatever it is that shackles you to the inside of your home. Then put your shoes on and open the front door to the big outside world that's waiting for you!