Why Does It Feel Good To Get Outdoors?

Something about being in nature always seems to leave us feeling better, but why is that?

CBS News's Kirsten Mitchell found the health benefits are both mental and physical and explained in today's Medical Minute.

"You can smell, feel, use all your senses out here. It just makes you feel more alive," Zach Ojeda said.

"The outdoors have so many amazing benefits for us," Dr. Vanessa Slots, a general pediatrician at M Health Fairview said.

Slots said there are both physical and mental benefits to being outdoors.

"There are a lot of studies that show being in nature, even if it's just sitting under a tree every day, lowers our stress, which can then, in turn, lower blood pressure, heart rate and those stress hormones, like cortisol," Slots said.

Slots said there's a natural calming effect created by breathing in fresh air and focusing on the sounds and sights around you. It's even proven to help people suffering from anxiety and depression.

"There's studies that are ongoing about how that could potentially help people who have ADHD," Slots said. "It's been shown it can improve our memory even so it could be even more cognitively active when we come back from being outside."

Enjoying exercise lends to a more active life.

"We're going to benefit more and workout harder and play harder if we're outside," Slots said.

Slots said everyone can benefit from the world around us that has much to offer.

If you can't get outdoors as much as you'd like, Slots says opening a window, using a happy light, and having indoor plants can still boost your mood. 

Additionally, doctors say sleep can improve when you spend time outside on a regular basis.