Get Out and Love Spring!

Released: Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Get Out and Love Spring

by Jennifer Spina

Spring is nearly upon us!  It is one of my favorite seasons because it is the start of new life.   This new life is not only for the new buds on the trees or the buds in the ground eagerly waiting to pop up, but for wildlife and for us.  We wait every year for this time of year to arrive because it brings rejuvenation to us all after a gray, cold and dark winter.  

Spring brings along with it some health benefits for us and allows us to become more productive and happy.

Some reasons to Love Spring:

Longer Daylight

Spring means longer daylight hours than winter, which is great news for people with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), whose moods are affected by certain seasons of the year and experience depression during the longer nights and shorter days of fall and winter. For the rest of us, longer days mean it's light when we wake up, which sends a "nice impulse of light into the brain," or a natural mental pick-me-up first thing in the morning, says Philip R. Muskin, M.D., professor of clinical psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center. Plus, returning home when it's still light out can be more energizing, adds Dr. Muskin.

Brighter Days

During winter months the sun's intensity decreases, meaning fewer brighter days. Enter spring and more frequent radiant days. Dr. Muskin, a spokesperson for the American Psychiatric Association, says that brighter days are beneficial for mental health in a non-specific way, but that on "gray days we all feel sluggish and down, and on bright days we're all more likely to be perky."

Being in Nature

Get your daily dose of "five senses" of nature, says Mary Beth Miller, a horticultural therapist who helps patients of all backgrounds (young kids, mental health patients, and senior groups) reduce their symptoms or work out their problems through working in nature. She says getting in touch with nature through sight, touch, taste, smell, and hearing helps reduce her patients' stress levels. Even just five minutes "can sometimes refresh people in ways they never dreamed possible.

A Bird's Song

The birds are returning from warmer locations, bringing their songs along with them, which have long been associated with lifting human spirits.  Dr. Muskin says that's because these tunes can evoke happy memories: "When the sun is out longer and the birds are out singing that means it's likely to get warm soon."

Greenery

The restorative effects of green spaces have been extensively studied by Frances E. Kuo, a faculty member at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and her associates. They found that public housing residents with access to less greenery (trees and grass) had more reported instances of aggression, violence and mental fatigue. Green outdoor activities also help reduce children's ADHD symptoms. A Swedish study published in 2003 found a statistically significant relationship between access to green spaces and reduced experiences of stress-related illnesses.

Smelling Flowers

A big whiff of a spring blossom can trigger happy emotions, increase life satisfaction and affect social behavior. According to "An Environmental Approach to Positive Emotion: Flowers," a study in behavioral research conducted at Rutgers University in New Jersey, being surrounded by flowers with your favorite colors may even enhance these benefits.

Watching Something Grow

"Watching something grow and even smelling flowers can have an impact on someone's health," says Miller, the horticultural therapist. Planting a seed and tending to it teaches nurturing, provides a sense of accomplishment, and boosts self-esteem. "That gives people something to look forward to and feel positive about. For someone who may feel stressed out and thinks, 'I'm never getting anywhere' it can make you feel awesome." It also teaches patience, says Miller. "Mother nature doesn't happen at the click of a mouse. You have to be patient and enjoy the process and that gives you satisfaction."

Plenty of Produce

Dr. Muskin says it's only natural for us to notice springtime beauties: the grass peeking up from the ground, the buds on the trees, the start of flowers -- because our hunter-gatherer ancestors did this as they waited for the abundance of food that the warmer seasons offered. Now, even 7,000 years later, we can still partake in the plenty. Even in our modern society the variety of fresh produce options gives people more incentive to pick healthier foods. While not everyone will change their eating habits, "People who are predisposed to eat healthier are more likely to eat healthier," says Muskin.

Escaping the Normal Routine

Americans often spend 90 percent of their time indoors, says the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). And with that, often comes dealing with stuffy buildings. The World Health Organization estimates that up to 30 percent of office buildings worldwide may have significant indoor air quality problems. Poor ventilation, found in new and old buildings, is a top cause, according to the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA). Asthma, stuffy or runny nose, fatigue or lethargy, headaches, dizziness, nausea, irritability and forgetfulness have been linked to these poor office conditions, says the AIHA. Use the nicer weather as an excuse to spend your lunch hour or free time outdoors. Or, if you can't be in nature, bring a plant inside, suggests Miller.

Moving Outdoors

With the longer, brighter and normally warmer days spring brings, people begin to leave their dens of hibernation and go outside. "There's the impulse to be out," says Dr. Muskin, adding, "When you're outside, you tend to be exercising -- and exercise is good for people. The more you exercise, typically the better you feel. And I'm including in that a stroll down the park or down the avenue." You don't have to sweat to reap the benefits of exercise; a nice spring walk can be good for your bones and heart, Muskin says.

Swimming

Yes, with warmer temperatures comes the appeal of outdoor water activities.  Not only can this help beat exercise boredom and provide a great social activity, swimming works your whole body providing benefits through cardiovascular conditioning and calorie burning.  It is also a low impact exercise unlike biking and running which can put pressure on your knees.