If you love the great outdoors and all the green that nature has to offer, your ideal vacation might not include staying in an expensive hotel. Most nature lovers prefer camping to staying indoors. This type of vacation allows you to remove yourself from all the stress, noise and dirt of big cities and gives you the opportunity to do the things you love without any distractions. However, camping is much more than just enjoyable. In fact, camping can be very beneficial to your health. Here are just some of its benefits.

You’ll spend time in fresh air

While air in big cities is polluted and unhealthy, most camps and good camping spots are far away from this type of pollution, often in the middle of intact nature and surrounded by trees, bushes and everything that’s green and good. Other than being pleasant to look at, all that green is a sign that there’s plenty of oxygen for you to breathe. The clean air that you can find in places with lots of trees can promote good lung health and give you the chance to breathe deeper breaths, which then provides your cells with more oxygen. Other than that, fresh and clean air can boost your immune function and energy levels, which is always good for your overall health.

You’ll be in the sunshine

Nature’s gifts don’t stop with clean air. In fact, sunshine can be just as beneficial to your wellbeing. This is mostly due to vitamin D. As the levels of this valuable vitamin rise, it can encourage the health and strength of your bones by helping the phosphate and calcium function in your body. It can also lift your mood, keep depression at bay, maintain good blood pressure and may even be helpful with certain heart problems. Vitamin D is produced naturally in your skin, but it has to be activated by sunlight. The only problem is, you can’t be wearing sunscreen for this. So, try not to expose yourself to direct sun from about 10 in the morning to 4 in the afternoon, since that’s when it’s strongest, but rather early in the morning, or before the sun goes down in the evening. While the sun is at its highest in the sky, you should always wear sunscreen, as well as a hat, some sunglasses and other protective clothes.

You’ll sleep better

Spending your days outdoors, surrounded by sunshine, fresh air and engaging in physical activities which normally accompany camping, such as hiking, swimming or cycling, can mean that you’ll fall asleep more easily than you do when you’re at home. Furthermore, since you’ll have to strain your eyes less due to the lack of artificial light, your mind and entire body will be given a great opportunity to adapt to the natural light and dark cycle. And let’s not forget the calming yellow light of campfires, which can increase your melatonin levels and consequently make you feel sleepier and more tired. Finally, you should also make sure that you invest in a quality camping sleeping bag, so that you’re warm and comfortable enough at the end of your day and that your sleep is restful and uninterrupted. This will make you more cheerful and focused the following day, so that you can make the best of your vacation.

You’ll be more relaxed

Everyday life, work and all sorts of other obligations can cause stress, which can have a bad influence on your health. If you choose a crowded and noisy tourist destination for your vacation, you’ll probably just build that stress up. On the other hand, if you opt for camping, you’ll get away from these stress triggers and you’ll spend less money on your trip, which means less worrying and more joy. By simply leaving behind all those phone and computer screens, conference calls and long office meetings, you’ll find it easy to unwind. Add all the fresh air and sunshine to the equation, and you’ll calm your mind in no time. Therefore, when packing for your camping trip, leave all the electronic devices at home. And if you have to bring some of them with you, keep them off for as long as possible. A digital detox might just be what you need to get rid of stress and recharge surrounded by the serenity and the treasures of nature.

If camping is something you’ve already tried before, there is a high chance you’ll want to go again. The good feeling and the health benefits of it will refresh your body and mind, which you will certainly want to experience more than just once. And if you’ve never been camping and you’re curious about it, perhaps you can skip that posh hotel this year and exchange its five stars with the billion of those you’ll be able to see on a clear night’s sky.

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