With there being so many benefits to spending time outside, I have compiled a list of my favorite outdoor activities no matter the time of year.
I know I post a lot on this blog about hiking adventures that we take, but one of my goals this year is just to share different ways to spend time outside. According to Harvard Health, there are so many benefits to being outside; you get more vitamin D and exercise, while also improving your focus, concentration, and happiness. Before the first lockdown hit, most of my time spent outdoors was walking to and from class and different activities on campus. Since last March, Bryce and I have picked up a lot of different outdoor hobbies (I’m starting to share more of those on our Instagram page to help encourage more outdoor activities!!). Here is a list of five of my favorite things to do outdoors:
Playing Baseball
Bryce and I both played baseball/softball growing up and all through high school. We still have all of our old equipment, so some days we will find an open field to throw around and play a game of one-on-one baseball (when we don’t have any friends that can come along). Although to play one-on-one baseball, you have to have pretty good judgement since you don’t have any fielders to judge if something would be a base hit or not.
Going on a Sunrise or Sunset Walk
Walking helps strengthen your joints, muscles, and improves circulation. I have a podcast that I listen to every Monday (#middlegroundmonday), so I always enjoy ending my day by walking around my neighborhood and listening to this podcast. You can go on a walk any time during the day, but sunrise or sunset walks are always fun to notice the different ways the light moves around you and touches different objects.
Playing Disc Golf
If you follow us on Instagram, you know that we love playing disc golf. We have a couple favorite parks in College Station, Flower Mound, and Smithville. We started off playing with a starter pack of discs (driver, mid-range, and putter) for around $20 from Academy. It does take a little practice to feel like you're getting good; I still have some days where I do absolutely terrible. But just like everything else, all it takes is a little bit of practice.
Shooting a Basketball
Playing basketball is easier to accomplish if you live near a park that has an outdoor hoop. There is one in my neighborhood in Flower Mound, and we have always found different baskets to play at all over College Station. Sometimes you have to do a little hunting to find a good hoop, but there is one out there!
Going on a Picnic
This one doesn’t inherently seem active, but even just sitting outside has some benefits. I like to bring picnics along while Bryce and I do one of these other activities; we had two picnics this past week together and then played disc golf or baseball after eating. Picnics don’t have to be this extravagant, picture-perfect thing that you see on Instagram nowadays. It can be as simple as packing a couple sandwiches and some fruit or veggies.
There are so many creative ways to get outside besides this list; you can draw with chalk, go stargazing, start a garden, or plan a scavenger hunt. I try to spend about 20 minutes outside each day to stay active and get that vitamin D; sometimes it’s an activity on this list and sometimes it is something different. Make life fun and different, try something new! You never know if you are going to like something until you try it.
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