7 Health Benefits of Taking Your Walk Outside

If taking a walk around the block always seems to clear your head, that’s no coincidence. Here’s how walking outdoors scientifically improves your wellness.

The average American spends 90% of their life indoors, according to December 2022 data from the US Environmental Protection Agency. Yet studies show that spending just a little bit more time outside can do wonders for our physical and mental health. A 2019 study published in Scientific Reports found that health benefits significantly increase with at least 120 minutes per week in nature.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends at least 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise. Marie Kanagie-McAleese, MD, at the University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Medical Center, says you can hit this quota with a regular brisk walk of 20 or 30 minutes each day—and can benefit from the improved physiological and psychological outcomes that exercise and nature provide.

Keep reading this article on The Healthy.