20 reasons why we all should get out
Wild Nephin Ballycroy National Park. In a beautiful part of the world, it is a perfect place to visit in the springtime.
Springtime is finally here. A beautiful time of the year, the morning sun rises earlier, brightening our day; the evening light fades later, nature brings new life, young lambs jumping through fields and daffodils in full bloom. We have many reasons to get out; here are a few for 2024.
1.
The West of Ireland is a beautiful place. Sometimes we take it for granted, sometimes we are not aware of the real beauty that exists around us; the local historical sites, the beauty of our mountains, lakes and beaches. If we take a different road, path or trail we notice something new, something different. We appreciate where we live, we care for it, we want to look after it, because we want the next generation to be able to enjoy this beauty.
We may be tired, stressed and extremely busy. Just step outside, take a deep breath and move; you will begin to wake up, movement makes us feel alive and being outdoors awakens our senses. We smell the flowers, hear the sounds of nature, the silence of the countryside, feel the fresh air and see the beauty everywhere around us.
Life today can involve a madness of work, household chores, cooking, taxing, minding children and caring for our loved ones. It can be hard to get some time to relax and to enjoy our hobbies. When one does get to walk, cycle, swim, it takes one away from normality; from the businesses of traffic, noise, towns. One becomes immersed in their surroundings, forgetting about what’s left behind and one will return revitalised and ready for a bright new day.
We all care about our environment, our climate, our future. If, where possible, we were all to leave the car at home for one journey; walk or cycle to the shop, to training, to work. If we car pool to events, to races, to matches, we all feel better, our air feels cleaner and everyone is together making a difference.
As the weather improves, it gets easier. We might walk or cycle more often. Cycling or walking our children to school is a beautiful experience, if it’s safe to do so, let’s all try it someday. By doing an activity outdoors we are protecting our future in another way. We are not driving to the gym or pool, we are not exercising indoors, we are encouraging and teaching the next generation the benefits of outdoor sports, we are reducing medical bills. If everyone gave up one car journey to walk or cycle, then we would see greater benefits.
When we get outdoors, we meet people, we’re greeted by a friendly smile, we smile back. We meet a neighbour out for their stroll, we stop to chat. We head to the playground with the children and we meet other parents. Sometimes with our busy lives we don’t get to meet people as often. Yes, we might have friends on social media but to meet someone outdoors for a chat is real and feels good.
We know that exercise is good for our overall health; regular activity keeps our brains active, reduces the risks of diseases and infections, such as heart disease, cancer, stroke. It strengthens our bones, makes us stronger and builds muscle, it improves our flexibility and movement, enabling us to carry out our everyday activities with ease. Exercising outdoors boost our immune system, enabling us to fight infections, bugs, colds and flues.
With the bright mornings and long evenings what better way to pass some time by doing something that is good for us. Sometimes we can turn to TV, food and our phones, spending hours wastefully browsing; if we get out, get moving, get some fresh air we return revitalised, feel good and maybe eat healthier because we want that feel good factor to continue.
When we are driving through our countryside, we miss what’s on our doorstep, when we are out walking are we living in the moment or being at one with nature. The next time we walk let's use our senses to notice the colours, the sights, the sounds, this relationship with the outdoors is critical to our wellbeing and relieving and preventing stress.
If our children ask us to tell them about local history, can we? I can still recall stories from my grandfather on local ring forts, castles and of times gone by. We headed off exploring, learning and questioning more about our past and present. In Covid times we stopped still and explored some local sites. What a wonderful activity to do with children. Walk down a road and explore, find an old ruin, ask some neighbours and relatives about the area and plan the next historical path.
Isolation affects us all; rural isolation affects even more people. Check out a local club, walk, or event. Head along alone or bring some family and friends. Exercising with a group is sometimes easier. We push each other, set goals, motivate one another and make friends. We also return especially if someone is waiting to meet us again.
We as parents, educators, friends, need to show an example to the youth and our loved ones. We need to make the effort to encourage people to move and it is recommended for our children to be physically active for one hour every day. Yes, sometimes the weather isn’t so nice, but I never hear children complain when they must play in muck or jump in puddles. They love it. It’s about the right clothing and gear, so let's put on the rain jackets and get moving.
It’s free. Yes, we might need a good pair of runners, a jacket and cap, but invest well and these will last. To be able to walk out your back door, move the legs and arms, begin to feel the feelgood factor, to meet people, to energise your body and mind all for free. What other reasons do we need?
There are many amazing places in our county that we may never have been to. Make a promise to visit someplace new, bring a picnic, bring the family and a wonderful experience will be had. In south Mayo/north Galway; Cong woods, Clonbur trails, and Knock Ma are three wonderful places to visit, of huge historical interest that will take one away to a magical place and are for free.
By getting out and moving, we have taken the hardest step. After three outings, we begin to feel better, our bodies get into a routine and on a day we don't go, we miss that wellbeing feeling. Exercising outdoors boosts our immune system, enabling us to fight off infections, bugs, colds and flues.
We all need a reward, some praise; whether intrinsic, extrinsic or both. When we set a goal, we work hard towards it. When we achieve it, we have successfully gained something for ourselves. This has a rewarding, motivating and self-fulfilling feeling that inspires us to set another goal, to keep going and reach the next milestone.
Sometimes opportunities arise to try something new. It’s easy make excuses so let’s just do it, we have nothing to lose. We never had so many opportunities open to us, from greenways to pools, from open water swimming to hiking, from Fit for Life to Park Runs. The choices are unlimited; If there is something you always wanted to try just go for it.
We all love routine, a good start to the morning makes for a bright brand-new day. If you can spare 10 minutes in the morning, step outside, breath, watch the sky, see the sunrise, tell yourself it is going to be a good day. Notice the birds, trees, colours, notice the rain, fell the wind, it will awaken us, we will feel refreshed and motivated for what lies ahead.
Our minds are sometimes so overworked, the brain also needs a break. We need to be kind to it, we need to mind our brain just like other parts of our bodies it gets tired. We need to think happy thoughts, getting out into nature fills our minds with beautiful images and allows the negative thoughts to fade away.
Happiness is sometimes a difficult thing to nail. Exercising releases that feel good feeling, it pumps up your endorphins. Physical activity raises our heart rate, it gets us working, we start to a buzz, like after a cup of coffee, except this lasts. Exercise bumps up the production of your brain's feel-good neurotransmitters. Sometimes this is referred to as a runner's high but any aerobic activity, such as a team sport or a nature hike, can contribute to this same feeling.
And no one else. Make some time each week in 2024 for us. Let’s be nice to ourselves; try something old, something new, something fun, in spring sun, maybe even a run. A morning run, in summer sun, opens a new day of fun! Enjoy exercising outdoors in a beautiful part of the world.
