The Benefits of the Outdoors

Staying inside all day and not enjoying the outside world is not healthy. A lack of sunlight affects our mood and depletes us of necessary nutrients. In other words, if we stay inside all day, we can become unhealthy much more easily. But for the elderly, this is not necessarily an easy task. If you or a family member has trouble getting around, you will need to assist them or receive assistance in this task, but this is well worth the trouble.

Sunlight has been known to help ease the effects of depression and in small doses, it can give your body more energy through vitamin D. Increased vitamin D, it has been suggested, can also help you to better deal with osteoporosis, diabetes, and even obesity. Therefore, maintaining proper levels of this nutrient can do wonders for us.

Activities like gardening, going for a short walk, or even sitting on a bench and reading the newspaper all get us out the door and into the sunlight. Your activity does not need to be strenuous, but it should be something that you enjoy. For example, many people find gardening to be a cathartic, calming experience. It helps us to feel closer to nature and it gets us the exposure to the outdoors that we need. But if you are confined to a wheelchair, gardening might not be a feasible task. Raised gardens can help with this. A raised garden is easy to make with a few pieces of wood and some potting soil. Once you have the garden created, simply have someone lift it onto a few cinder blocks, and you have a small manageable garden that you can easily access from your wheelchair.

Another outdoor activity is to go to a local park and have someone push your wheelchair along the paths and walkways. There are many public parks across the nation and they are mostly wheelchair accessible thanks to federal laws protecting the rights of the disabled. This is a great substitute for those of us that enjoy walking but are no longer able to do so without trouble. State and national parks usually have paved walkways, making this an even easier task.

If you are an outdoor enthusiast, getting outdoors and staying active will be an easier accomplishment. But for those of us who prefer the comforts of the indoors, this is a strange and foreign change to make to our daily routines. Still, the benefits of being outside should outweigh the strangeness of becoming an outdoor person. If you receive daily in home care, you should tell your caregiver that you wish to spend time outside, if you don't do this already. This will help you to become both healthier and happier.

Matthew G. Young is a freelance writer who specializes in financial, sports, and health-related topics. To learn more about in home health care visit Paradise In Home Care

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