7 Out-of-the-Box Ways to Maximize Time Outdoors

Terps have suffered weather whiplash all semester, from the extremes of “snowcrete” to temperatures this month soaring into the 80s, plummeting back below freezing—even as pink petals bloomed on branches—and now reaching the 90s.

With warmer spring forecasts now hopefully here to stay, making the most of them might be just what the doctor ordered—literally, said an expert from the University of Maryland’s School of Public Health. Scientific studies have shown measurable health rewards from going outside.

“If you can get a dose of nature, you can sense it in how you feel almost immediately,” said Jennifer D. Roberts, associate professor of kinesiology and co-director of NatureRx@UMD, a campus movement emphasizing nature’s role in health and well-being. “It improves your immune function, could help alleviate depression symptoms and typically, when you’re outside, you're more likely to move.”

Achieving those benefits is possible even for Terps with the most jam-packed schedules, she said. Step into the sunshine for seven simple ways to get your al fresco fix:

Take a Study Hike
Have a recorded lecture to catch up on? Grab your laptop and park on a bench or at a picnic table to watch it in the fresh air. Or better yet—pop in your headphones and just listen to the audio as you jaunt around campus.

The idea isn’t limited to students, Roberts said. Faculty can also go on “syllabus walks,” like by listening to a recording of a paper as an alternative to reading it to prepare for class. “So you’re getting in some good steps, and you’re getting exposed to nature.”

Forest Bathing
For a more formalized way to enjoy the great outdoors, try this grounding activity guided by a specialist. Also known as the Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku, forest bathing doesn’t involve wallowing in a creek or hauling a clawfoot tub into a clearing, but rather invites participants to immerse themselves in a natural environment using all five senses, helping to relieve stress.

NatureRx@UMD has previously hosted such events in the wooded area near Eppley Recreation Center and hopes to hold more in the future, Roberts said.

Walking Meetings
Joining a colleague for a chat or a fellow student for a group project? Trade the office or apartment living room for the sidewalk to get the ideas and the blood flowing.

Faculty could go a step farther, literally, by holding walking office hours, said Roberts, who’s met colleagues and walked nearly the entire campus for their meetings.

Care for Campus
Especially during Do Good Month this April, rolling up your sleeves outside can benefit both your personal and the community’s well-being.

“Our campus is really well taken care of,” Roberts said, “but maybe on the periphery or a bit off-site, a little TLC can go a long way. You can take 10 or 20 minutes to do some trash pickup, with gloves of course, as a little nature volunteerism.”

Take the Long Way
If you take the same route to and from class or work each day, mix it up as time allows: Go around instead of cutting through buildings, or tweak your path to see campus blooms you usually miss.

“Sometimes we walk the shortest distance between two points, so maybe you want to expand it,” Roberts said. “That also might be fun particularly if it’s your last class of the day. If you’re walking back home or walking back to your car, you might want to lengthen your route to spend more time outside.”

Movement Snacks
On days when you’re feeling slammed, backing away from the computer screen—even for just five minutes in front of your building—can quell that angst, Roberts said.

“I like to do those and not take a phone or anything. I am just disconnected for five minutes.”

Bloom Walks
As the campus—a designated arboretum and botanical garden—flowers to life with vibrant pinks, purples, yellows and more, Terps can snap pictures and document which plants and animals they see. Then in following years, they can anticipate which species will show up or bloom and deepen their connection to the natural world, Roberts said.

“I call them your seasonal bloom walks. You can create your own little journal.”