Nowadays, nature activities have so many applicants. The activities are based on interests or hobbies, that has elements of knowledge, sport, and recreation but also a high risk elements.
Nature activities in any form such as Mountaineering, Rock Climbing, Caving, rafting etc that can called as an adventure activities, can be developed for specific purposes, such as; survey and research, and tourist development. besides it, nature activities can be developed to education activities.
1-3 Nature Activities to Train and Educate Yourself
Though nature activities sounds great to do, we have to aware that nature activity certainly have a risk. The uncertainties facing the risk in nature as well as changes in the conditions of normal life will lead to the emergence of subjective danger, eg physical unhealthy because it is not prepared well, didn’t bring adequate supplies and equipment, or unplanned resulting in the incidence of errors.
But actually, this danger can be reduced with the efforts to enhance the life skills and technical knowledge in nature, that is have impact to our ability and experience. Efforts to improve the skills and abilities have benefits for character development and introduction, either weakness or strength in yourself.
Broadly, the directly perceived benefits from this activity are:
- Physical aspect. activities in nature require physically healthy. Healthy here means that in a dynamic sense, the offender will be trained in terms of physical endurance, strength, fitness, and speed or responsiveness in reacting.
- Mental Aspects. Mentally tough to be gained from training in nature, especially when you’ve mastered the knowledge or life skills and techniques in the wild. These aspects include the bold, resolute, tenacious, agile, loyal and furthermore can foster a love of nature, spirit of patriotism and professionalism.
- Intelligence, Knowledge and Skills Aspects. Nature Activity requires a certain knowledge and skills. In this aspect, you will be trained for skills and theoretical, then your intelligence will be honed and trained.
4-10 Improve the Children Concentration
Dr. Andrea Faber Taylor, a researcher in environment and behavior Landscape and the Human Health Laboratory University of Illinois, states that all children can get benefit from spending time in nature. The reason may be that the brain uses two forms of attention. Attention “Directed” causes us to concentrate on work, reading, and tests, while the attention of “free” will take over when our attention was distracted by the sound of water, a crying baby, a beautiful view, or an animal that crawls onto our laps.
Usually, for children who are not familiar with the nature activity will not be easily attracted. By exploiting the emotions, children who tend to be curious and try new things into one surefire way to introduce these outdoor activities. Then let the children adapt to the natural environment and lets them feel comfortable with the nature activity.
Besides improving the concentration, here are some benefits from nature activities for children:
- To increasing the knowledge and understanding to children about nature. Diverse flora and fauna that has never been seen before will certainly add insight
- Stimulate the children to be more responsive to the environment, so that children are more empathic.
- Train the intelligence. When performing a variety of nature activities, the whole body will move automatically.
- Encourage the passion and creativity children
- Dare to try new things, psychologically will increase the child’s confidence.
- Survive Learning. The new experience will make the children adapt to the surrounding environment. With certain conditions, children will be faced with the reality to survive.
11. Obtain the Vitamin D
The main source of vitamin D is sunlight. This is the most obvious reason why we are being in nature because the sun is the best source of vitamin D. Getting enough of this essential hormone for maintaining the immune system. Those who do not get enough vitamin D are more likely to suffer from osteoporosis, cancer, and Alzheimer’s.
Getting enough sunlight also helps us to prevent diabetes, autoimmune disorders, multiple sclerosis, and heart disease. If you want your body to function properly, try to get out, enjoy your nature.
12. Healthy life
Healthy body as the main reason for a person being in nature. It could be to do a sport in nature, besides getting a bonus in the form of your mental health will also be maintained.
This is supported by research from the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry. In the study, the research analyzed 11 common symptoms of mental illness in 800 people. The first group was asked to exercise outdoors and the second group exercising indoors. This is proven that doing outdoor sports or the outdoors can reduce confusion, anger, depression and irritation (Read: Health Benefits of Sauna).
13. Maintain eye health
If you are working in front of a computer screen, it means your eyes will really get tremendous benefits. At least, your eyes will be protected from Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS), which eye problems caused by staring at the screen too close in the long term and farsightedness due to man-made light. Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) associated with other health problems, namely blurred vision, double vision, dry red eye, eye irritation, headaches, and neck or back.
14 – 18 Get some fresh air
Explained before that nature is the besst resource of sunlight that contains vitamin D. But, not only that. The second greatest source after the sun is a fresh air. Well, when we are in nature, we will breathe of fresh air. Fresh air is beneficial for:
- Lifesaving. As we learned in school, trees use photosynthesis to convert carbon dioxide be oxygen we need to breathe. Within a year, the presence of trees could save 850 lives and prevent 670,000 of acute respiratory diseases. Trees will expel pollutants from the air healthier to get into the lungs. Air pollution alone is known to affect very bad, even in long-term exposure can cause cancer and birth defects.
- Improve the immune system. Frequently in the environment with clean air, especially if you live in dense urban areas. Work out in the clean air will also increase natural germ killer cells in the body.
- Eliminate stress. Stroll under the trees, breathes in the fragrance and beauty not only make us happy but also increase relaxation. Walking in the clean air will also make us more peaceful and anxiety is reduced.
- Increases energy. One way to make the body get more energy is spending time in the clean open air. these activities known can boost energy levels by 90 percent. Nature is the energy for the soul.
The Fact: outdoor pollution is bad for your health, but indoor pollutants that much worse. The EPA New England states that indoor air pollution is usually 2 to 5 (and up to 100) times higher than outdoor pollution. And according to the California Air Resources Board “indoor air pollutant 25-62% greater than the outside, and this difference creates a serious risk to health.” The health risks include heart disease, lung cancer, chronic bronchitis, and asthma attacks.
19. Improve the Sleep quality
Lack of sleep is often caused by poor sleeping patterns. Our sleep patterns regulated by the body’s biological clock called the circadian rhythm. The natural circadian rhythm of our sun is bound schedule. Spending too much time inside – away from natural light and with increased exposure to artificial light can change our circadian rhythm, (thereby disrupting our sleep patterns).
Research has shown that “individuals who are blind from birth often have difficulty with sleep, wake cycle due to a complete lack of light cues environment.” In addition, “people who do work’s shift or travel often also subject to have a natural circadian rhythm they disrupted
20. Sports
People who going outside is almost certainly going to do sports. Exercise can help prevent or improve heart disease, stroke, type II diabetes, obesity, back pain, osteoporosis, and a number of psychological disorders.
What can you do in Nature?
There are a lot of nature activities that is fairly easy and enjoyable as:
- Hiking
are activities that aim to travel adventure (trackking) to the outdoors may be the peak of a mountain, hill or countryside by taking a field or track, forests, rivers, swamps, a path that will require physical stamina and knowledge to support such activities. Besides beneficial to train the organs that are important to the system of the human body functions, hiking is also beneficial to train someone more confident, hard-working, more independent in solving the problem, it is easier to survive, more understanding and loving environment, can also provide insight and knowledge about the benefits and functions of the environment and natural surroundings to life.
Hiking is possible for the children participants and has many benefits in addition to the benefits above. But remember, hiking is not easy to do for the children both physically and mentally, but by relying on emotion and individuals playing the parents or educators can motivate and give appreciation for the children efforts to achieve success in conducting his adventures, so that it makes the adventure of his pride at the same time fun and entertainment knowledge are not forgotten in his mind.
- Camping
camping became the alternative to getaway (escape from routines) in order to get a very pleasant quality time in the outdoors. Imagine, we will feel to sleep by feeling the chill of the night together, that is something extraordinary isnt it?
Yups, now we know the health benefits of being in nature, we still assume that the activity in nature is a waste of time, risky and futile? Surely not. Well, now, how about design the holidays?