By: Kate Mershon, RDN
July 9, 2024
Summer Solstice: A Time for Renewal
Last month, we celebrated the summer solstice. Each solstice marks a new phase of the year, a new season, a fresh start. This specific shift is particularly exciting because, well, it’s summer. Summer means long days, warmth, dips in mountain lakes, enjoying fresh produce, and more time spent outside. Who doesn’t love summer?
The summer solstice also signifies the halfway point of the year. Yep, we’re halfway through 2024. Can you believe it? This might prompt some self-reflection: How am I doing with my New Year’s resolutions? Am I moving in the direction I want to be? Is there any area that needs refocus?
With warmer weather and the opportunity to revisit resolutions, let me suggest an area of focus: Outdoor Movement.
Why Outdoor Movement?
Outside > Inside
One common New Year’s resolution is to increase movement. While it’s tempting to enjoy the green view out your window from the comfort of a temperature-controlled environment, outdoor movement offers benefits that are absent or lessened by staying indoors.
Spending time outdoors has been linked with lower stress levels, improved mood and memory, enhanced immunity, reduced inflammation, and potential anticancer benefits. Not to mention the benefits that come from an easy and cheap dose of vitamin D. Add this list to the benefits of physical activity and you’ll be feeling great this summer.
Keep in mind that these benefits are amplified when movement takes place in nature, or at least a green space. In fact, studies show that movement in natural outdoor space results in lower blood pressure, lower heart rate, and lower overall exertion compared to the same activity in urban areas. So, fire up google maps and locate the nearest green space.
If you’re ready to incorporate more outdoor movement this summer, let’s dive into the specifics.
Tips for Outdoor Movement
Tip #1: Identify a Natural Outdoor Space
We’ve established that natural outdoor spaces are preferable. Where can you go to get the benefits of outdoor movement? Here are some options:
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- Hiking trail
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- Park
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- Neighborhood with great foliage
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- Sports field
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- Lake or pond
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- Botanical garden
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- Your backyard
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- State or national park
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- Beach
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- Community garden
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- Riverwalk
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- Nature reserve
Though these may prompt some ideas of places you can check out this summer, the best outdoor space is the one you’ll actually visit. Often, the nearest green space is the perfect place to start.
Tip #2: Introduce Variety to Movement
If walking gets old and running isn’t your thing, consider other ways to move your body outdoors:
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- Bird watching
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- Foraging
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- Playing frisbee or organized sports like pickleball, volleyball, or spikeball
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- Swimming, paddleboarding, or kayaking at a local lake or pond
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- Riding a scooter, bike, skateboard
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- Rollerblading (my personal favorite)
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- Smelling flowers
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- Gardening
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- Hiking
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- Swinging
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- Following a child around (kids come up with great ideas for outdoor movement)
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- Skipping rocks
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- Fishing
Tip #3: Bring Snacks
To review, tip #1: find a natural outdoor space, tip #2: find a variety of ways to move your body outdoors. Now for tip #3: bring snacks. I’ve learned to not leave home without snacks. Snacks make everything better, and you never want to be in a situation where you’re not ready to go inside but you’re starving. Follow this link to claim my free handout including 10 easy & nourishing snack ideas to bring on your next outing!
Tip #4: Be Mindful
In Robin Wall Kimmerer’s book, Braiding Sweetgrass, she says: “The land is the real teacher. All we need as students is mindfulness.” Incorporate mindfulness to your outdoor movement by being present, taking deep breaths, and paying attention to all five senses. Imagine all that natural outdoor space will teach you this summer as you engage in mindful movement. Remember to express gratitude to your body for what it can do, to the land for allowing you to enjoy the space, and your mind for its ability to be present and soak it all in.
Tip #5: Get out there!
…and invite others to join you. Happy Summer!