Have you been trying to live a healthier life? Good, because so have I. Luckily, one of my favorite activities (camping) fits in really well for living a healthy and happy life.
So, is camping healthy for you? Camping is a really healthy activity because there are many benefits, both physically and psychologically that can fit into a healthy lifestyle. If you are trying to live a healthy lifestyle, then camping is an excellent activity to partake in.
Here are 10 reasons why camping is healthy for you:
- Heart Healthy Exercise
- You Get Better Sleep
- There’s Free Vitamin D
- More Oxygen (Thanks To Trees)
- Socializing
- Some Alone Time
- Time To Meditate
- Healthy Camping Meals
- Stress-Free Environment
- Opportunities For Critical Thinking
Keep reading for more details about why camping is healthy for you.
By the way, If you are in the market for a new tent, then you should click here
to see the one I recommend on Amazon.
1. Heart Healthy Exercise
It’s no secret that there are tons of opportunities for exercising when you are camping. Some of the most well known are hiking, swimming, kayaking, rock climbing, and trail running. There are a plethora of options to get some exercise while camping. If you need some ideas then check out this post about activities to do while camping. Many of the activities include physical exercise.
Regular exercise is one of the most heavily promoted ways of living a healthy life. Camping offers you opportunities to get some exercise in every day with many different options. Exercise does not even have to have a high intensity in order to offer health benefits. Low impact, leisure exercises like walking, swimming, and gathering firewood can still positively affect your health. So take advantage of camping and get some kind of exercise every day.
2. You Get Better Sleep
Camping can help you get more sleep and a better quality of sleep. There are many reasons for this. Sleep science is still not fully understood, but there are some main points that most experts agree on. The first being that an adequate amount of sleep is necessary to maximize health benefits from sleeping. The National Sleep Foundation recommends that most adults need 7-9 hours of sleep per night.
It’s easier to get an adequate amount of sleep when you are camping because there are fewer distractions and worries to keep you up late. There are fewer bright lights to keep you up at night, there is probably no internet to keep you distracted, and there are fewer tasks that you have to worry about. This brings us to another major reason why camping can help you get a better night’s sleep; You can fix your circadian rhythm.
Your circadian rhythm is a phycological process that living beings experience in a 24 hour period. In relation to sleep, there is a certain optimal time for us to sleep. That optimal sleep time often follows the setting and rising of the sun. This fits in perfectly with camping because it’s easy to go to sleep shortly after the sun sets and wake up shortly after the sun rises when you are camping. Camping can reset your sleeping schedule and help you implement going to bed and waking up at a more optimal time once you get back home.
3. There’s Free Vitamin D
Vitamin D is a unique vitamin because not only can it be obtained by eating certain foods, but it can also be obtained through exposure to the sun. That’s right, the sun gives you free vitamin D. When you are camping, then odds are that you will be exposed more to the sun than usual and therefore you will receive some healthy doses of vitamin D. Too much sun is not good for us, but too little sun is also not good for us. So make sure your exposure to UV rays while camping isn’t excessive in either direction.
Not only does the sun provide you with vitamin D, but it also helps you with your sleep because exposure to the sun will help your body produce Seratonin and Melatonin. Both of these are hormones produced in the body that aid in regulating things like hormones, appetite, mood, and sleep. Being outside and exposed to the sun can be great for your body and hormones, camping can be a gateway for obtaining all of these benefits.
4. More Oxygen (Thanks To Trees)
If you are camping in a forest or somewhere else nearby to trees then you will receive another great benefit; fresh air. It’s amazing what some fresh air can do for your body, especially for those of us that live in crowded cities. Better air quality in places that you go camping is a real thing, and we can thank trees for that. Trees actually absorb pollution and release oxygen, which is really good for us.
Humans breathe in a lot of oxygen and breathe out a lot of carbon dioxide. Trees like to do the opposite so we can benefit from each other. So if you are in need of some fresh air then look no further than camping because the best camping locations are often among lots of trees that have lots of fresh air to offer you.
5. Socializing
Camping can be a great time to socialize with others face to face. Much of our socialization today is done via the internet. Socializing online vs in person is completely different, and as humans, we need real face to face socialization every once in a while. Socializing can be done when you go camping with friends, family, or complete strangers that you meet in the campground.
Whoever you are socializing with, you can build new relationships or strengthen existing ones. If you go camping with friends and family then it can offer a time to get closer to one another, something that you just can’t get from online posts. If you meet someone new at the campground then it can be an opportunity to expand your mind, learn new things, and hear stories and tales from someone that may live a completely different lifestyle than you do.
6. Some Alone Time
Just as camping can be a great time to socialize, it can also be a great time for you to get some much needed alone time. Solo camping is something that not a lot of people do, but it is very unlike that of traditional camping in a good way. Camping alone has many benefits that regular camping sometimes cannot offer. Camping alone can be very safe if you follow some basic guidelines like the ones I have outlined in this post.
At the same time, solo camping is not weird and you should not fear someone judging you for trying it out. On the contrary, some alone time and solitude can give you time to reflect and think critically about the big things in your life. It is often used by creative people for inspiration in their work. You can use some temporary alone time to benefits your mental state by trying solo camping.
7. Time To Meditate
Meditation is an activity that comes with many mental health benefits. Some of the most successful people in the world have said that they practice some kind of meditation in their lives every day. Mediation can reduce stress, reduce anxiety, improve sleep, and offer many other benefits. One of the biggest reasons why people don’t meditate is because they have no quiet place to practice it. Camping can offer you many locations where you can practice meditation in peace.
They might not always be quiet places, but the sounds of nature have always been known to be relaxing for our minds. Imagine sitting next to a raging waterfall, near a slow flowing creek, or even by a large tree whose leaves rustle in the wind. Give meditation a try next time you go camping and can find a place all to yourself, you won’t be disappointed.
8. Healthy Camping Meals
Eating healthy is another heavily promoted way of living a healthier life. The food we cook ourselves tends to be healthier than the food we buy at a restaurant. When you are camping, you are most likely going to be preparing your own meals. The healthiness of the food can both ways, so you need to ensure that you only bring healthy ingredients to make healthy meals.
There are tons of recipes on the internet that can help you design a healthy meal plan for your next camping trip. Some of my favorite healthy foods to bring camping with me includes eggs, oatmeal, lean meats, fruits, and vegetables. Foods can be cooked straight on the campfire or they can be enjoyed in a nice camping stove. If you need a camping stove then I recommend you check out the camping stove that I use here.
9. Stress-Free Environment
Stress is higher than ever in our lives today, which is very strange since our lives are considered easier and more convenient than ever. There are many theories as to why this might be, but I won’t discuss them here. The bottom line is that life is stressful, but we need to find ways to cope with that stress in our own ways. A lot of experts have hypothesized that increased stress levels may be linked to high internet usage.
Camping allows you the opportunity to unplug. Getting away from the internet sometimes can give you a nice break from the information overload. At the same time, being far away from your usual work commitments and stressors probably helps out a lot too. Keep your campsite a low-stress environment and focus on living in the present instead of thinking of all the things that you have to get done in the future.
10. Opportunities For Critical Thinking
There are small challenges that you can face while camping, that requires you to think critically in order to solve. They can be small challenges like tying down your tent in high winds or getting your campfire to start and stay lit. Whatever the small challenge may be, it will be something that you have to overcome on your own or as a team with whoever you are camping with.
Today we have the internet to pretty much answer any question we may have or solve any problem that may arise. However, when you are camping you may not have that resource available to you and that is why you must think critically in order to solve it. Sure it may take much longer to figure out a solution, but you will keep your mind sharp and give your brain some exercise of its own, which is always a good thing.
Related Questions:
Does Camping Reduce Stress?
Camping can reduce stress in many ways such as allowing you to sleep better, get more exercise, unplug from the internet, and practice meditation. Everyone copes with stress differently so it is up to you to find out what aspect of camping can help you reduce your own stress.
What Is The Purpose Of Camping?
The purpose of camping will vary from person to person. Everyone goes camping for slightly different reasons. Some people just enjoy nature and the outdoors. Some people enjoy socializing with friends and family. Others may enjoy hobbies like fishing, rock climbing, hiking, etc, that only camping can get them close enough to do.
My Favorite Camping Gear
- Air Mattress: click here to check out my favorite on Amazon.
- Tent: click here to see my favorite tent available on Amazon.
- Sleeping Pad: click here to check out the one I love on Amazon.
- Sleeping Bag: click here to see the one I recommend on Amazon.
- Camping Stove: click here to see the best camping stove on Amazon.