Take a deep breath- spring weather is on the way! My lungs are ecstatic, are yours?! Oh, and so is my skin, digestive tract, brain capacity, immune system, and emotional wellbeing! Get the idea yet? There is nothing like a crisp intake of clean spring air to kickstart your health and sharpen your mind! As we start cracking our windows and enjoying a slow jaunt to the mailbox instead of a slippery sprint, here are a few fresh air facts to be aware of!

Poor Indoor Air Quality

A lot of us miss out on sleep and activities (both work and pleasure!) due to the ‘common cold’, seasonal allergies, and feelings of fatigue or disinterest. These ailments are far more common when the weather and work keep us cooped up indoors where we breathe manufactured air recycled from the next room over.

What is manufactured, recycled air? Good question- truth is I made that up. But if you would like to read my formal definition…

Manufactured Air (noun): A gaseous substance transported via diffusion, pumps, or vents from its natural environment outdoors to supply living organisms trapped behind various building materials often mixing with high concentrations of bacteria, chemical irritants, and moisture.  -Drifted Way

We are all too familiar with the funky smell of our office carpet, uncontrollable dusty sneezes, and the graceful Febreze Lady and her cloud of five cans-per-day cleaning technique.

While we often don’t have much control over the air quality in the spaces we spend our time, we can be intentionally about opening windows and stepping outside to experience the benefits of FRESH AIR.

Here’s why this is so important for you!

Five Benefits of Experiencing Fresh Air

Digestion and immune function improve with fresh air.

Fresh air is all about getting the biggest bang for your buck, or as much oxygen as possible with each inhale. Our bodies can be distracted from digestion after we ate (say, if we continue sitting in front of our computers) if our brains needs blood and oxygen for concentrating. Taking a walk outside allows the body to move and provides a great influx of extra oxygen to travel through our blood to our digestive tract. This oxygen helps break down our food more efficiently and pull more nutrients from the meal we just consumed. I personally have noted fewer stomach cramps and healthier digestion when hubby and I take our walk after dinner.

Fresh air contains many  useful components beyond just high oxygen concentrations. Plants talk– they sure do! And the little chemical voices they use are intercepted by our lungs when we breathe in nature. These chemicals, called phytoncides, have also been shown to protect and empower our human immune systems. They signal our bodies to increase the amount and function of special white blood cells called natural killer cells (NK cells) that target and destroy our cancer or virus infected cells. Scientists are beginning to believe that extra time spent in fresh air could be helping you prevent cancer and avoid viral illnesses!

Fresh air purifies your lungs.

Taking in a deep breath of oxygen-rich fresh air will jumpstart and stimulate the airways and oxygen acceptors (alveoli) in your lungs to open big and wide. With this dilation, some of the airborne toxins we have accumulated over time will shake loose from our lung tissue and pushed out of our bodies with our exhale. Depending on where you live, the outdoor air quality may be affected by local industrial facilities or recent weather events. The app that I use to check the weather on my phone has an air quality indicator that alerts users to any potential risks. Readers in the US can use this link to check their location as well! It is important to be aware of air quality and the negative effects it can have, especially for those suffering from allergies or asthma. This article suggests increasing the amount of water you drink in more polluted areas in conjunction with more time outside to purify your lungs.

Boost your energy levels with fresh air.

You may have tested this one on your own! I have definitely felt a jolt of energy after heading outdoors. Even the days where we don’t want to do anything, just stepping outside can encourage even the tiredest of souls. Richard Ryan, a professor at Rochester University, said it best here.

“Often, when we feel depleted, we reach for a cup of coffee, but research suggests a better way to get energized is to connect with nature”   -Richard Ryan, Professor

Some of the studies quoted in related research show that just 20 minutes spent in nature each day is enough to significantly increase your vitality levels! This increase in oxygen will help sharpen and focus the mind while taking in the artistic aspect of nature will give the cognitive side of our brain a rest and promote patience and stability.

Fresh air increases happiness and confidence.

You would never guess- but fresh air supplies more oxygen to your body! Seems to be a theme here, so I won’t belabor the point. Increase in overall happiness and wellbeing are a result of fewer stress hormones being released in the body. Researchers found that being outdoors significantly decreased the mood test scores for anxiety, depression, anger, confusion and fatigue. Those phytoncides that we talked about earlier seem to have calming, protective effects in our bodies in addition to their communication properties with other plants. Breathe it in and hold yourself high, folks!

The natural aromas in fresh air relieve stress and sharpen your mind.

Best for last! We all have our favorite ‘nature scent’ whether it be freshly mown lawn, pine needles, flower gardens, or morning dew. Good luck finding a candle or soap store that doesn’t stock ‘rainforest gardenia’ or ‘cucumber and lily’ next to all of the other nature inspired imitations.

Nothing against Bath and Body Works friends- get it where you can, ya know?

Each smell we come across in nature can elicit a vast array of emotions and chemical reactions, many of which are so good for our mental state. I liked this article which talks about scientists saying we should actually stop and smell the roses for our health, but I had to know more! Turns out, many of these smells are all part of something called ‘petrichor’ which is a fancy description for earthy. This smell of wet organic material (which is pleasant enough, but not quite candle or soap worthy) strikes a special chord in the human brain as it triggers our innate sense of death and decomposition of living things into newly available nutrients for growing, young life.

Next time you are outside take an extra deep inhale of that crisp outdoor air and focus on feeling these positive experiences. For your health, try taking a few moments each day to intentionally fill your body with the oxygen, phytoncides, natural aromas, and the uplifting mental and physical experiences that come along with them. 

You deserve fresh air experiences- drop a comment below with any suggestions or questions you have about this topic! Tis’ the season for getting outside and getting healthy. Let me know how you do! <3

Drifted Way