What are the benefits of bird watching? Amazingly, this is a hobby that has many health benefits. Many people think of it as something that only older people participate in, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. You might not think of something as simple as bird watching as having many benefits that could impact your health, but you also might be surprised when you read the five benefits below that are associated with this hobby.
All of them have a direct and sometimes dramatic impact on your health and well-being. If you’re looking for a new hobby and you want to live a healthier life, find a good pair of birding binoculars and set out to have fun. While you’re doing it, you can think about all the ways that you’re getting healthier and happier at the same time, especially with regard to the five things listed below.
1. It Can Lower Your Blood Pressure
Believe it or not, bird watching can lower your blood pressure. Typically, people start to experience an increase in blood pressure as a direct response to stress. The more stress you have in your life, the more likely you are to suffer from high blood pressure. When you take yourself out of that situation and reduce your stress levels, your blood pressure usually starts to come back down to normal levels. Taking up a hobby like bird watching allows you to get away from many of the things that cause you stress. If you do it frequently enough, it can become as effective as taking some blood pressure medications in order to keep your numbers in check.
2. You Will Sleep Better at Night
If you think that bird watching doesn’t have anything at all to do with how well you sleep, it’s because you probably haven’t tried it yet. When you go bird watching, you’re able to get away from the hustle and bustle of everything. This gives you time to be alone and reflect on things that might have been eating away at you for several days.
This can be a perfect time to work things out that are on your mind because you don’t have any other distractions. In addition, you’re getting some physical exercise by walking to the location and spending time there. When it’s all said and done, you might find yourself sleeping much better at night, thanks in large part to your new-found hobby.
3. You’ll have Better Flexibility
If you think that you have to do an intense exercise regimen in order to get stronger and tone your muscles, somebody’s been telling you a bag of lies. All you really need to do is start moving. Bird watching using binoculars is an excellent way to incorporate some exercise into your daily life without making it feel like a chore. Thanks to spending a little time moving around in the woods, you can become more flexible, feel stronger, and have better muscle tone. It can also help improve your balance and your overall sense of well-being.
4. It Gives You the Chance to Meditate
Meditation has long been proven to help people improve their health. There are few times where it’s easier to meditate than when your bird watching. Nothing says that you have to completely zone out while you meditate so you can still enjoy the birds. By the same token, nobody says that you have to meticulously analyze every bird that goes by. Remember, bird watching is all about reconnecting with nature and finding something bigger than yourself. There’s no right or wrong way to do it. Simply do what works for you.
5. Exercise is good for Your Heart
The time you spend walking around looking at birds can be a great exercise for your heart. Granted, it may or may not be a cardiovascular workout, but the fact is, you’re not sitting and watching TV. Instead, you’re up doing something.
If you feel like you’re not getting a good cardiovascular workout and you want that in your daily routine, take a brisk hike or run to the location where you plan to be watching your birds. You might be surprised how much healthier your heart can become when you start doing some daily exercise and reducing your stress levels at the same time.
Before you know it, you might notice that you’re not as winded when you go on your hikes and that you feel better overall.