The nicer weather is a great excuse to get outdoors and enjoy what mother nature has to offer. It is also a great time to do more of the activities you love, like walking, swimming, gardening and exercises like tai chi that can be done outdoors. If the weather wasn’t enough of a motivator to get outside, did you know that there are also several health benefits associated with many outdoor activities?
Aquatic exercise:
Research evidence suggests that moderate to high intensity aquatic exercise is at least as effective as land-based exercise for improving strength, endurance, flexibility and physical function.
Blog Post: Why aquatic exercise is making a splash with health conscious adults
Gardening
There are many evidence-based benefits of gardening, including helping to maintain physical fitness, improve flexibility, coordination and strength, enhance relaxation, improve self-esteem and depression symptoms, encourage creativity, and create social bonds (and even intergenerational relationships).
Blog Post: Cultivating health and well-being
Yoga and tai chi
Warmer weather makes it more enjoyable to get outside and practice yoga or tai chi. A park, or your own backyard can make for the perfect backdrop for your practice. Did you know that meditative practices such as yoga and tai chi can help alleviate stress and reduce depressive symptoms? Yoga can also help people with type 2 diabetes manage their blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol, and body mass index. Tai chi may help reduce fasting blood sugar levels and BMI and improve certain aspects of quality of life.
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Blog Post: Traditional Chinese medicine: A supplement to modern diabetes management?
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Blog Post: Yoga for diabetes: breathe, relax, stretch…and reduce your blood sugar levels?
While you enjoy the many benefits of the outdoors, including more vitamin D, remember to be ‘sun smart’ to avoid skin cancer!
