Get up, get connected Getting outdoors has additional benefits. Even an easy walk or bike ride can get your heart pumping. Prefer to travel at a slower pace? Consider birding. It’s an affordable, relaxing hobby that enables you to slow down and take in the sights around you. Getting outside for a walk also can help you connect with friends and family. Shared strolls can be a terrific way to make conversation. And those person-to-person bonds provide their own health blessings, too. Get creative And what about those of us with limited mobility? See if you can go to natural habitats with paved, level trails, maybe with the help of family or friends. You could even get out to your own backyard or a green space near your home or apartment. Once there, you can simply sit, listen, and take in the sights. Another option: Bring a bit of nature inside. Adding indoor plants and container gardening to your life can lower stress and even add some low- impact exercise to your day. Note: Formore on container gardening, see the Spring 2021 issue. In short, the natural world offers a way to appreciate all aspects of life. It also gives us the chance to connect with the wider world — and with each other. And that can make our lives healthier and more satisfying.
Gene Rebeck is a Duluth, Minn.-based freelance writer.
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