What Fresh Air Does for Your Health

4 Key Benefits of Fresh Air

1. Healthier Lungs

Breathing deeply increases oxygen in your blood, which has been proven to increase serotonin levels in your body. This “happy chemical” that helps regulate mood is responsible for lowered stress and anxiety. But the benefits of breathing deeply from fresh air go beyond that, too.

Air pollution can cause a wide array of negative lung impacts, including:

• Asthma

• Coughing

• Chest pain

• Shortness of breath

Fresh air, on the other hand, is essential for healthy lungs. Outside in Montana’s fresh, clean mountain air away from indoor irritants and city pollution, you can help clear your lungs while enjoying the outdoors.

2. A Boost in Vitamin D Production

Outside in the sunlight and fresh air, you’re doing a world of good for your body when it comes to vitamin D production. Some health benefits of vitamin D include:

• Increased bone health and density

• Reduced risk of multiple sclerosis

• Increased cognitive health

Your body can’t produce this vital vitamin without UVB light, like the rays you soak in from the sun. UVB rays interact with a chemical in your skin, traveling through your body to create active vitamin D. This helps you absorb calcium better and promotes immune health.

You don’t want to forego sunscreen as you soak up the sun, though, since it’s still important to protect against burns and damage that can lead to skin cancer. Fortunately, people who use sunscreen daily can still maintain healthy vitamin D levels.

If you’re not able to get outside in the sun (or you live in Montana where the angle of the sun is too low to produce vitamin D in winter), you can get your vitamin D from some foods too, like:

• Fish

• Fortified dairy

• Mushrooms

• Fortified orange juice

If you have concerns about your vitamin D levels, make an appointment at a CHP clinic to ask about a blood test that could give you more information on where you stand.

3. Movement for Your Body

When you’re outside in the fresh air, it often makes sense to be moving, whether you’re playing a game of volleyball at the park, throwing a ball around, biking, skiing, taking a walk around the neighborhood, or hiking in the mountains.

Moving your body is fun and good for you, helping to improve your mental and physical health. Aerobic exercise has been proven to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, and there are many scientifically proven benefits of exercise on your heart, lung, and musculoskeletal health.

When you head outside to move your body, the health benefits of fresh air compound with the benefits of exercise. If you’re not sure where to start, grab a friend and check out these five beginner hikes in Southwest Montana.

4. Higher Levels of Happiness in Nature

One 2015 study conducted by Stanford University took a look at the emotional state of two groups: one walking in nature and the other in an urban area. The nature walkers expressed lower stress levels and negative thoughts, along with higher levels of positive emotions, compared to the people walking in an urban setting.

It’s well worth taking the time to get outside and take some deep breaths, getting the benefits of fresh air while you spend time in nature.

For more health guidance and advice applied to your personal needs, get in touch with the staff at the CHP clinic closest to you. You can schedule an appointment to start making steps forward on your health journey.