BASS PRO MIDWEEK MOTIVATION - The Benefits of Spending Time in Nature

Hello runner friends!

Welcome back to the Bass Pro Fitness Series

MIDWEEK M😊TIVATI😊N blog!

Now let's get started by talking about the benefits of spending time in nature--and why running is the perfect sport to obtain those benefits. But first, meet Rudy Martinez, your 3:45 Bass Pro marathon pacer. He's not only fast but smart. So smart that he not only refers to himself as a 'nature nerd' but manages the Bass Pro Nature Center so he can spend lots of time outdoors. Talk about lining up your passion with your vocation. Rudy has the best of both worlds. He works in nature and also runs it in. So before we talk about the benefits of being outside, check out Rudy's bio:

My name is Rudy Martinez but you can call me a nature nerd. I love spending as much time as possible outdoors and running is another way to experience nature. Anytime outside is time well spent. I love all the seasons and each brings conditions conducive to specific hobbies of mine, including running. My family and I love to fish and go on adventures. I’m also an avid archer. I run roads during the week and hit the trails on weekends. I recently ran Boston in April and that opened my eyes to what group support can do. As one runner described it, it’s like Christmas for runners.” I’ve run all my life but only took to running distance over 12 miles about eight years ago. I’ve run six marathons and just as many ultra marathons over the last seven years with the longest being a 100K at Black Canyon, AZ. Growing up I was very active in sports and only dreamed of running hills as I grew up in near zero elevation. I later went on to serve eight years in the US Navy and continued my running as conditioning for intramural sports. Today, I run for the joy of it and to experience adventures with others along the way. Life is busy and my day job is managing the nature center where I get to meet new people and share my interest in nature and outdoor pursuits to include running. Life is an adventure, go get it! See you at the finish line!

Do you just love that or what? I know that being outdoors most definitely puts a smile on my face and joy in my heart. Which is the very reason I absolutely love living in the Ozarks and more specifically on a farm. I get out at least five days a week (I cross train on other days) and run the gravel roads and rolling hills around my house, surrounded by the sights and sounds of God's creation. I'm not even going to lie though... I can get so caught up in admiring a sunrise, checking out baby calves, or just stopping to breathe in the fresh air while I count my blessings that I've been late to work more than once. Thankfully I have a flexible schedule and boss that shares my love of the great outdoors so completely understands.

But don't just take mine and Rudy's word for it. Check out what McMaster University says are the "7 Benefits of Spending Time in Nature." And then, if you haven't already, get registered for the Dogwood Canyon trail run and experience the beauty, serenity, and solitude of the Nature Center for yourself. You won't regret it. 

On a side note, check out what the writer had to say about "Forest Bathing." I do this often but never knew the practice had a name. 

Benefits of spending time in nature 

1.    Increased feelings of calmness

2.    Increased endorphin levels and dopamine production (promotes happiness)

3.    Restored capacity for concentration and attention

4.    Reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression

5.    Reduced irritability

6.    Lowered blood pressure and reduced cortisol (stress hormone)

7.    Reduced feelings of isolation

Getting the most out of your time in nature

• Studies show that a minimum of 2 hours a week spent in nature, either at one time or over several visits, is needed to significantly increase your health and well being. Two hours may sound like a lot when you’re balancing school, personal time, and potentially work – but your health is worth the investment!
• Ensure the place you choose to go feels safe. Time in nature is only a stress antidote if you are able to properly relax and embrace the experience.
• To maximize the health benefits of being in nature, try your best to be present. Take deep breaths and pause to listen to the sounds around you.
• While a walk in the woods will help combat stress, try moving your workout outdoors. When performed regularly, exercising in nature can reduce the risk of mental health problems by up to 50%.

The Practice of Forest Bathing

The term ‘Forest Bathing’ references a physiological and psychological practice that first emerged in Japan in the 1980s. The exercise, also known as ‘Shinrin-yoku’, was developed to achieve two goals; antidote tech burnout and inspire residents to connect with and protect the country’s green spaces.

Forest Bathing is open ended in practice in the sense that there is no prescription of what an individual should experience. While guided experiences exist, forest bathing can be as simple as standing in nature and engaging with the smells, sounds, and sights the area provides you. Depending on where you are the experience will differ! For example, forest bathing in Hawaii often focuses on the location’s abundance of aromatic flowers and the salty breeze of the ocean, while in Kenya the practice would focus on its endemic plants, wild orchids, and unique population of elephants and deBrazza monkeys. If you try Forest Bathing, be sure to acknowledge and embrace the uniqueness of the space you are in!

On another side note, taking a tour of the Dogwood Canyon Nature Center (either by trolley, walking, running, biking, or hiking) is a great way to experience the smells, sounds, and sights of the majestic Ozark hills and mountains, especially as we enter into Fall. But if you can't get away, get out wherever you are and take the time to stand in nature, to breathe in deep, and to count your blessings. Done daily, this practice will make you more appreciative of all that you have.

And there you have it friends. There are so many great reasons to get outdoors and to create your own adventures. So do it as often as you can and I assure you that you will find it so beneficial that you'll carve out the time to do it more. Happy Running!