The importance of getting outside

A couple of friends of mine and I just announced a new business we’ve been working on behind the scenes for the last four years: The Forge: Lemont Quarries. The park, which will open next summer in the Chicago suburbs, is the first of its kind. It is a unique public/private social enterprise that will offer all kinds of engaging outdoor recreational activities designed to exhilarate, educate, and entertain adventurers of all ages and abilities.

Including a rich menu of activities from ropes courses, ziplines, rock-climbing towers, flatwater paddling, running, mountain biking, and hiking trails, to festivals, races, and team training programs, our park will provide community-focused, authentic outdoor experiences to Chicagoland's 9.5 million residents as well as visitors from near and far. 

Our team is deeply dedicated to the promotion of an active, outdoor lifestyle. Personally, I’m an ultramarathoner and adventure racer. Basically, when I’m not in the office, I try to get outdoors to test my body’s limits by running or biking… a lot. 

I’ve always been interested in health and wellness, which helps to explain why I’ve done lots of running, triathlon, and endurance races. While it may seem extreme to some, my style of outdoor recreation is not just a hobby that has the side benefits of keeping me physically fit. Spending time outside also acts as a governor for me, helping me to clear my mind and recover from the stress of my daily routine as CEO of Imagineer Technology Group and father of four.

Even a little bit of exercise, particularly if it’s outdoors, goes a long way in making us healthier and happier as individuals.

Outdoor recreation is any physical activity done outside, regardless of the intensity. For me, it includes participating in endurance athletics, heading deep into nature to push my body and mind to the limits for as long as I can. The underlying reason I love doing extreme things is because of the way it makes me feel: physically and mentally stronger, more clear-headed, and significantly less stressed. 

The good news is you don’t need to spend a zillion hours in the woods or pound out 100 miles a week to experience the therapeutic benefits of being outside. Even a little bit of exercise, particularly if it’s outdoors, goes a long way in making us healthier and happier as individuals. In fact, the desire to help other people tap into the catharsis associated with outdoor recreation is the cornerstone of Lemont Quarries.

Most people are familiar with the physical benefits of movement. However, you may be surprised to know that simply being in the great outdoors compounds the benefits that we gain from physical activity and goes a long way toward making us feel that sense of relaxation we usually associate with a post-exercise endorphin high. 

Simply spending time in nature produces health benefits, like reduced blood pressure and longer lifespans. Business Insider has provided plenty of research from numerous studies to back up claims that spending more time outside can reduce inflammation, lower your blood pressure, boost your immune system, and lead to a lower overall risk of death. In fact, biohackers — individuals who believe in optimizing human performance — swear by several practices that connect you to the outdoors, such as “earthing” (letting your feet contact the earth — essentially, going barefoot once in a while).

Similar to the physical benefits of being outdoors, the mental health benefits of outdoor recreation are numerous. For instance, researchers at Stanford University found that stepping outside for a brisk walk in nature, even for an hour, led to “decreased activity in a region of the brain associated with a key factor in depression.” Simply being in nature helps us combat the negative feelings of depression, anxiety, and rumination, while allowing us to experience more positive emotions, like happiness and gratitude.

Doing things outdoors also helps combat stress simply by proximity to natural environments. This is often referred to as “forest therapy,” where people will spend time in the forest and come back with “a decrease in both the heart rates and levels of cortisol.” I don’t track my cortisol levels but I can personally attest to the sense of well-being that comes from spending time outdoors. 

There’s really no better place to be. When you’re deep in a forest or running across a mountain, it becomes much easier to let go of your worries about work, finances, or the running to-do list in your mind, and to feel grounded by appreciating the vastness of your surroundings.

I absolutely love what David Strayer, a psychologist at the University of Utah, says about nature’s calming effect on our stress levels: “Our brains aren’t tireless three-pound machines; they’re easily fatigued. When we slow down, stop the busywork, and take in beautiful natural surroundings, not only do we feel restored, but our mental performance improves too.” 

At Lemont Quarries, we’re building a unique place where everyone can get outside and enjoy moving, playing, and connecting with themselves and others who love being outdoors - or at least like the thought of it!  I hope to see you out on the trails in 2020. Until then, consider stepping out of the office or your house at least once a day for a walk or jog in the nearest park. You’re virtually guaranteed to find the feeling of refreshment and rejuvenation your body is looking for.