Learn how to improve the mind-body-soul connection by being more in nature. —————————————————————— Originally Published February 16, 2004 -- Your Wellness Guide Get Outside For Mind-Body Health —————————————————————— We live in such a boxed-in, indoor culture that it becomes not only a matter of finding time to get outdoors but also learning how to enjoy your surroundings for your benefit. You need sunshine and bright light to trigger the necessary chemical releases in your brain that regulate a healthy mood, restful sleep, and other physical and mental health.  Sunshine also helps your body to produce Vitamin D, which assists in the absorption of calcium. Being outdoors also gives you needed fresh air, away from recirculated office air, dust mites, and other indoor air problems.  And, exercising outdoors gives you a cross-training opportunity, providing your muscles with new and varied challenges that create well-rounded physical stability. There are also psychological benefits from being outdoors that affect us in profound ways.  Leigh Crews, a spokesperson for the American College of Sports Medicine, says that exercising outdoors helps her to appreciate nature.  “What I have found is that by getting out into nature, it creates an awareness in me that didn’t happen when I was in the car.  If you’re walking, you notice your surroundings more.” Although Crews and her husband have always had a close relationship, being outdoors together has strengthened their connection.  “Being outdoors is different than working out at the gym together -- everyone at the gym is in such a hustle, and there’s so much noise.” She says that taking a hike together is altogether different.  Her and her husband can talk -- not hurrying through reps and sets.    It has also been a good activity to do with her children, and she has recently become a big fan of a new sport called Geocaching (www.geocaching.com), which makes being outdoors an adventure for all ages. For those who endure a long, cold winter, being outdoors can be challenging.  It requires knowing how to bundle up and protect yourself from the elements.  There are also a number of new, wool products available that keep you warm but don’t itch. Photo Courtesy: Eric Kampmann Eric Kampmann takes long hikes in the forest areas near New York’s Manhattan to renew his spirit and keep in physical shape. Adventurist Eric Kampmann says he has survived and enjoyed extreme conditions because he has been equipped to do so.  “Above zero degrees will be okay if you are moving and well covered.  Make sure to cover your head.  Keep the warmth inside so that the heat is retained.  You also need to stay dry.” A member of the Appalachian Mountain Club, a group of about 100,000 members, Kampmann says that many of the younger adults are very interested in mountaineering, even in the wintertime. In fact, outdoor sports are becoming a larger trend than before, which is reflected in what is being offered at gyms across the country. “The research shows that about 67 percent of fitness facilities in 2002 offered outdoor group activities, which is pretty significant,” says Kathie Davis, executive director of the IDEA Health and Fitness Association. IDEA will be holding an annual, international conference for gyms and personal trainers this summer at the San Diego Convention Center, July 8-11, www.ideafit.com.  One of the growing focus areas is in how to construct better outdoor activities and classes.  Even personal trainers are training their clients more outside. “People naturally gravitate to being outside and are looking for a return to nature, which nurtures their spirit.  People get bored with being in the gym all the time and want to add variety to the workout.  There is a mind-body-soul connection of being in nature,” says Davis. Anna Rosemore, also in San Diego, couldn’t agree more with IDEA’s findings.  She struggled with a weight problem for years and found that running, coupled with a Jenny Craig weight-loss program, was her ticket to a better life. “Getting out to run is better than a treadmill inside,” says Rosemore, who now sees running as a metaphor for her life.  “I think some of my deepest revelations come when I’m running.  I’ll see a landmark in the distance and say I want to reach it.  I stay focused on the goal and don’t think about anything behind me.” For more ideas on playing and exercising outdoors, check out Permission to Play by Jill Murphy Long. Terra Wellington is a national authority on creating a wellness lifestyle.  www.terrawellington.com  © Copyright Terra Wellington