A lot of people are die-hard fans of camping. Every year, they plan their multiple trips in advance, whether close by or a whole country or continent away. Others, however, can’t bear the idea of living away from the bustle of the city.
But even these non-fans fall in love with camping after their first trips. The reason? Camping is such an undeniably good way to destress and disconnect from the daily demands of routine, that you can’t help but love it. But did you know that camping is also great for your health?
1. Immediate Improvement in Physical Health
Regardless of how sedate or high intensity a camping trip is, there is a certain amount of physical exertion invariably involved. It can be as mild as walking back and forth between the parking place and your camping spot, to trekking or hiking uphill or white-water rafting with your supplies strapped on.
But even the easiest camping trip will have you pitching tents, gathering firewood, collecting water, walking, jogging, etc. And even mild to moderate cardio exercises such as these improve blood circulation, increase your resting heart rate, improve your oxygen saturation, and get your metabolism up and going.
Over time, such activities cause a gradual drop of blood pressure to normal ranges steadily, improving the baseline heart rate management, and better circulation. Not to mention, there are the weight loss benefits on the side.
2. Camping and Socialization
Although you can always go solo, camping is most fun when you go in a group. Away from the artificial city settings, camping with friends and family allows you to enjoy each other’s company in a relaxed, natural environment.
Of course, regardless of how many people are present, it’s necessary for the trip to go smoothly, that you go fully equipped. Each camping trip is unique in its demands, and you should make sure that you are fully rigged out with supplies, such as the 10 most important camping essentials. This will ensure that your adventure goes hassle-free.
3. Long Term Improvements in Physical Health
Camping is a great way to incorporate regular bouts of higher physical exertion into a normal, restricted routine.
People who go camping regularly burn more calories during their entire trip. So, it’s not only good for weight loss, but also for weight management. The exertion helps you improve your appetite, improve your digestion, and focus on clean eating.
Additionally, the demands of camping are such that campers build and tone more muscle, while engaging all their major muscle groups. So, it’s like a mild to moderate intensity full body workout. Also, the cardio aspect helps burn fat.
Not only is this good for appearance, but it helps build stamina, endurance, and overall health. The steadily enhanced cardiac function contributes to reducing resting heart rate and blood pressure, which is hugely beneficial for people who have chronic issues with these.
Other organ systems benefit too, such as the lungs, kidneys, and nerves. There are gradual increases in coordination, balance, and engaging more muscle groups in daily chores – even when you’re back home from camping.
4. Improvement in Mental Health
Camping has an immediate uplifting effect on mental health. Being out in nature helps the body and mind to decompensate from the constant noise and rush of the city and of living off a routine.
The fresh air ameliorates mood and overall perspective, and you can practically feel your brain switching those extra-stress processes running in the background off.
But there are also other benefits. Camping allows you to sleep better, partly because of the setting, and partly because of the physical exertion of the day. As a result, you wake up feeling rested and refreshed.
The background noise of the city gets replaced by the sounds of the forest, wind, and water, which drain the overstimulation from your thought processes. Camping has a meditation-like effect on the campers. No surprise then, that campers can’t wait to go camping every chance that they get.
5. Improvement in Emotional Well-Being
Camping puts you in a totally new environment, with its back-to-the-basics setting. So, when you’re with friends and family, you can take up a lot of small adventures together.
Not only can you reconnect with loved ones better but taking up exercises and activities together also improves bonding, communication, and cooperating with each other. It’s the ideal way to catch up, while also reaping individual benefits from the experience.
If you’re camping alone, you get a chance to experience solitude and find some peace with your own thoughts. Being in nature is a great opportunity to rediscover and relive memories, and work on your own awareness. You could even journal and work on self-reflection, completely undisturbed.
