The health benefits of fresh air are plentiful. The sun’s shining today and with early morning sunrises and late evening sunsets, there’s no better time than the summer to get outdoors and enjoy some fresh air. Every cell in your body and therefore every function in your body relies upon a constant, fresh stream of oxygen. If you stay indoors or in an air conditioned environment for long periods of time, the same air can be breathed in again and again, causing the air to become stuffy and stale. Simply stepping outdoors and breathing in some fresh air can have a huge amount of health benefits…
1. 20% of the oxygen you breathe in is used by your brain to function. Increasing the amount of fresh air you have can provide greater clarity to the brain, promoting optimal function whilst helping you to think, focus and concentrate better.
2. Seratonin release is affected by the amount of oxygen you have in your blood. Seratonin promotes a sense of happiness and well-being so the more fresh air you have will help to significantly boost your mood. This is often why you feel better, more relaxed and much more refreshed after being outside!
3. Fresh air is good for your lungs. When sitting indoors, it’s common to breathe shallowly, inhaling the air into the top of your lungs, known as apical breathing. When outdoors, moving, walking or jogging encourages increased diaphragmatic breathing. This means that you breathe more deeply, drawing more air deep into the bottom of your lungs. This not only brings more oxygen into your cells but helps the lungs to expel more airborne toxins from the body. This therefore helps you to cleanse from the inside.
4. Breathing in fresh air can help to reduce airborne illness and infection. This is because bacteria and viruses have a reduced chance of survival in fresh air. This is in comparison to warm, humid, indoor environments in which they thrive.
5. Increased oxygen improves the function and efficiency of every cell in your body improving the function of everything your body does. This ranges from hormone production, digestion, tissue renewal, muscle contraction etc…!
In Cornwall we’re lucky enough to have an abundance of natural, unpolluted areas where the air is fresh and clean. Fresh air is free to us all so step outside and prepare to breathe deep!
