As an avid camper, I’ve found many benefits to camping throughout my years of outdoor adventures under the starry sky. It turns out that camping is actually beneficial to your health. So, if you are asking yourself, “what is the benefit of camping?” read on.
The Benefits of Camping
Spiritual Benefits
#1 Explore spirituality through nature
If you’re looking for a way to find spirituality by connecting with nature, camping is an excellent way to do just that.
Camping allows you to experience firsthand the beauty of the earth’s many landscapes and forests. You can appreciate the beauty that the world holds, such as rolling rivers, mountains in the distance, and a shining night sky. You can also appreciate the wonder of nature through wild animals you may encounter. Experiences like these can lead to a stronger spiritual connection.
Here is a youtube video you can watch to learn more about the spirituality of nature:
#2 Learning experience for kids
Camping can be a great way to get your kids involved in a spiritual adventure. Many campsites will host summer camps where kids can learn about faith and spirituality among their peers in a creative, safe, and motivational environment. Campers can make friends and connections, learn about their faith, and engage in fun activities with their friends.
More: The Complete Guide to Family Camping
#3 Find connections to other spiritual people
When camping, you can make friends or even seek out groups of campers who are going on a faith-based camping adventure. In this way, camping is a great way to make connections with other people to share on your spiritual journey. You can worship, pray, or do other spiritual activities together.
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#4 Peaceful place to practice your faith
When camping, you will find yourself far away from the core of civilization and all its hustle and bustle. The tranquility of a campground at night can be the perfect place to practice quiet meditation, yoga, Bible reading, prayer, mindfulness, and many other spiritual activities.
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For example, here is a youtube video demonstrating how to practice sky gazing meditation:
#5 Improved self-awareness
Camping is an excellent way to check in on yourself and be introspective. Because you’re away from modern society, you can discover what you truly enjoy or make plans without distraction. You may find that you’re able to make faith-based decisions with a clearer mind and feel more connected to your spiritual side.
Because outdoors improving your energy and mood as well, you may even feel that you have a better mindset and understanding of yourself and your faith. In this way, camping can be an important aspect of your spiritual journey.
Scientific Benefits of Camping
#1 A great way to exercise
If you’re camping, chances are that you’re moving around more. Whether you’re hiking to your camping spot, setting up your tent, swimming in a nearby lake, riding your bike around the trails, playing frisbee at the campground, or even chopping logs, you’re likely to get more exercise when camping.
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Exercise has many health benefits. Not only does exercise help you to lose weight, but it also lessens your risk of developing heart problems and high blood pressure. It also helps your muscles and bones stay stronger. Regular exercise also reduces your risk of developing cancer or other dangerous health problems.
Here is a chart illustrating the many positive benefits of exercise:
#2 Fresh air
In modern-day society, pollution can be hard to escape. Some major sources of air pollution come from manufacturing, vehicles, and charcoal- and wood-burning sources. All of these are especially prevalent in large cities. Avoiding exposure to air pollution is important because air pollution is one of the major causes of asthma and other breathing conditions.
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Camping allows you to temporarily escape from these sources of air pollution. Not only are you farther away from the source, but also, the trees and bushes surrounding you can purify the air much more effectively than a man-made purifier.
Trees have the ability to purify the air by absorbing pollutant gases out of the air into their leaves and bark. This makes the air much fresher and safer to breathe.
#3 Sunshine
When camping, you’re more likely to be exposed to sunlight. While you don’t want to get a sunburn (so, use your sunscreen!), there are proven health benefits to getting a balance of sunlight every day.
When your body is exposed to sunlight, your brain receives more serotonin. This is a hormone that helps to improve your mood. Without serotonin, you may be more at risk of feeling depressed.
Also, the UV-B rays from the sun cause your skin to produce vitamin D. This is an important vitamin for bone health.
Sunlight can also be beneficial for those with skin conditions, like eczema, acne, and psoriasis.
#4 Healthier food
Because you probably won’t have access to a microwave or a McDonald’s, camping may bring with it a healthier diet. When camping, you’re more likely to choose simple, unprocessed, nutrient-rich snacks, like nuts and fresh fruits. These are quick and easy to pack away and eat.
For breakfast, you can easily use a skillet over a fire to make scrambled eggs. If you have a flash cooking system, you could also make oatmeal and add some fresh fruit to it. Also, if you have access to a grill, you could grill some chicken and vegetables. All of these are healthier options than fast food or frozen meals.
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Eating healthier is important because it provides your body with important nutrients. If you can avoid processed foods, this may help you to avoid consuming too much-saturated fat, salt, and sugar as well. Too much salt, for example, can increase the risk of heart issues, stroke, and high blood pressure.
#5 More restful sleep
If camping is relaxing for you, you may find that you’re able to get a more restful night’s sleep. Some people find that because they are more active during the day when camping, they are more tired and fall asleep more easily at night. For others, the sounds of nature help them to fall asleep faster.
Getting better sleep has many health benefits, such as improving your immune system to fight illnesses, preventing weight gain, reducing the risk of heart disease, improving stress levels and mood, improving your memory, and helping you to think more clearly.
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Mental Benefits of Camping
#1 Less stress
Stress can lead to feelings of hopelessness, failure, and despair. It can impair your ability to think clearly or make responsible, healthy decisions. Therefore, reducing stress is a major benefit for your mental and emotional health.
Camping helps to decrease your stress levels, because you have found a peaceful, fun place in the outdoors away from the bills, traffic jams, and other stressors of the world.
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#2 Time for hobbies
Camping can be an excellent opportunity to spend time thinking quietly, journaling, reading, drawing, or taking photographs of nature. You can spend time learning new hobbies as well, such as fishing, bike riding, hiking, star gazing, and other activities.
Hobbies that connect you with nature can help put your life into perspective. These types of activities can help you to become more introspective and thoughtful about what life means to you, and you may find a sense of hope or peace. These are important aspects of a person’s mental health and well-being.
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To learn more about this connection between nature and your mental health, check out this video:
#3 Making friends
When you’re camping, you’re likely to find other like-minded individuals who enjoy and appreciate the great outdoors. Making friends has an excellent benefit on your mental health.
These benefits include an increased sense of belonging and connection with others, improved self-esteem, improved coping skills with issues, and improved motivation and drive towards accomplishing goals or living a healthier life. You may find lasting friendships when camping and form groups that camp together season after season.
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#4 Time for family
If your family enjoys camping, it can be a great activity for all ages. You can reconnect with your family and enhance relationships, which helps improve mental health. It has been shown that face-to-face connections and relationships help improve your mood and enhance the sense of belonging. This is all beneficial for your mental health.
#5 Personal achievement and self-confidence boost
When you’re camping, you have several decisions you need to make. You have to figure out how to make a fire, how to set up your tent, how to make food, and other important questions. This helps you work on your problem-solving and critical thinking skills.
Some people may even enjoy the challenge of camping alone, which requires its own set of skills, preparedness, and resourcefulness especially in inclimate weather or in difficult environments.
Solving these problems leads to a greater sense of personal achievement. You will feel a sense that you conquered your goals and achieved success. This is helpful for your self-esteem and confidence, which is excellent for your overall mental health.
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Conclusion
Was this article helpful? Hopefully, you have an idea of the major benefits of camping, such as better sleep, mental clarity, improved mood, reduced risk of health issues, and enhanced spiritual connectedness.
Please share this with your camping friends, and let us know what you think in the comments below!
