In all honesty, Mother Nature may find the indoor world pretty tough to compete with sometimes. After all, she can’t offer flat-screen TVs, air conditioning, or WiFi. But she might potentially offer something even more important: improved health, by way of a stronger immune system, better sleep, and reduced stress.

Spending time outdoors can boost physical and mental health in a range of ways. You don’t have to spend hours at a time outside before those benefits kick in, either.

According to a 2019 study, spending at least 2 hours in nature per week can significantly boost health and well-being. You can go for a 2-hour chunk all at once, or break it up into smaller daily segments — the benefits still hold.

Even without any greenery around, spending time in sunlight and fresh air may help you feel better in mind and body.

Below, you’ll find health benefits of spending time outside.

Better breathing:  Air pollution can trigger allergies, asthma, and other respiratory diseases, which you may already know. It might surprise you to learn, though, that indoor concentrations of air pollutants are often two to five times higher than outdoor concentrations.

But spending more time in natural green spaces could help lower your risk of respiratory concerns.

Improved sleep:  Typically, your body’s internal clock follows the sun, making you feel awake during the daytime and sleepy at night. Although artificial illumination can mimic natural light, direct sunlight has 200 times the intensity of office lights in a closed room. As a result, sunlight affects your circadian rhythm more than electric light.

Exposing yourself to sunlight can improve your sleep by:

• helping you feel more tired at night
• shortening the time it takes to fall asleep
• improving the quality of your rest

The nice thing about sunlight? It doesn’t cost a thing. To get a daily dose, you only need to step outdoors.

Reduced depression symptoms:  Some people believe sunlight has a protective effect since it can help your body produce vitamin D. It’s also possible that sunlight improves sleep, which in turn reduces the severity of depression symptoms.

More motivation to exercise:  Working out in green spaces could help boost your motivation to exercise in the future, in part because outdoor exercise can:

• offer a nice change of pace from gyms and make physical activity more interesting and enjoyable
• make it easier to socialize, as many gyms have unspoken rules about not chatting to the person on the treadmill next to yours.

Mental restoration:  The modern world contains plenty of intrusive stimuli — flashing screens, vibrating phones, rumbling roadways — that compete for our limited attention. This ongoing overstimulation may raise your stress levels without you even realizing it.

The natural world, on the other hand, can offer a mental and emotional refuge when you need to unwind and recharge. In nature, soothing attractions for your senses, from the perfume of flowers to the music of bird song, can hold your attention without draining your mental energy.

Improved emotional well-being:  Outdoor time can do more than help relieve unwanted or painful emotions like fear, worry, and sadness. It may also help promote emotions you want to feel more of, like happiness, peace, and optimism.

Making a habit of spending regular time outdoors, especially in nature, can do a lot to boost physical and emotional wellness. It can also go a long way toward strengthening your bond with the planet, or Mother Nature herself.