What spending time in nature does to your body

Working from home, screen, sofa. Sometimes the journey from bed to desk is less than ten metres. At the same time, there is a growing awareness that something is missing: that sense of balance you know after a long evening in the park or a weekend hike.

That is no coincidence. The human body is not designed for being indoors all the time. Our eyes, nervous system and stress response are all calibrated for the outside world, for open space, movement and daylight. When those things are missing, you eventually notice it: in afternoon irritability, the difficulty of switching off in the evening, or the vague feeling that you got through the day rather than lived it.

The good news: The solution is simpler than you think. And it does not begin with planning a holiday.

The research is clear: spending time in nature works – measurably and quickly. Time in nature has been shown to lower cortisol and other stress hormones such as adrenaline and noradrenaline. Blood pressure falls. Your mood improves, while negative emotions such as anger and exhaustion decrease.

The neurological side is particularly interesting: when you walk outdoors, your brain switches into a different mode. No deadlines, no notifications, no multitasking. This is called attention restoration: the brain’s ability to recover when it is not constantly being challenged. Better sleep, improved concentration and greater creativity are not promises from a wellness magazine, but well-documented effects of regular outdoor breaks.

The best part: It does not take hours. Even short breaks, such as a walk after work or half an hour in the park on Saturday, set these processes in motion. You do not have to start big to make a difference.

Getting outside does not need to be perfectly planned. It just needs to happen. Almost everyone knows these three situations, and each one is a great place to start.

• The after-work hike. Not planned as a training session, and not with GPS and an elevation profile. Just get out, move for twenty or thirty minutes, breathe fresh air and step away from the screen. Through the city park, along a river or on a nearby forest track, the quality of the route matters less than simply getting outside. Do it twice a week and you will quickly notice the difference.
• The spontaneous weekend break. No hotel, no research, no two-week plan. Get up on Saturday morning, grab your rucksack and head for any woodland or hill within reach. Many people underestimate how close the next real outdoor experience can be. A few hours are enough to clear your head and leave the week behind.
• Active moments while travelling. Anyone who travels knows the feeling: you might as well be sitting at home if all you do is walk from the hotel to the restaurant. The difference comes when you actively explore your surroundings, on foot, on a short hike or with a detour into the countryside. It changes how intensely you experience a trip, and how long the restorative effect lasts.

You do not need to develop a philosophy of equipment to be active outdoors. But your clothing should not do one thing: get in your way. Too warm, too cold, too restrictive, soaked in sweat after two hours: these are the small discomforts that turn a lovely after-work walk into something off-putting.

Schöffel has been developing outdoor clothing for over 200 years, with the aim of making function and comfort work together. The Style Enixa range and the Style Blaustein shorts are made for exactly these uncomplicated moments: spontaneous breaks, short hikes and active days without performance pressure.