Air is the most essential element needed to sustain life in a human body, and fresh air is one of the simple pleasures that many take for granted. The strength of the body system is, to a great degree, dependent upon the amount of pure, fresh air (oxygen) that it receives. Cells begin to die within 4 minutes if they don’t receive adequate oxygen. What is it about fresh air, exactly, that makes us feel so great? Well, there’s a whole lot; the physical and mental benefits are vast. Here are a few benefits of fresh air to the body:

• Fresh air cleans out the lungs and helps the body get rid of accumulated impurities. Enclosed indoor spaces, especially ones with poor ventilation, usually have a mix of oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide. Fresh air contains more oxygen that causes blood vessels in the lungs to expand, thus improving cleaning and repair of tissues, while making exchange of gases and removal of impurities easier.

• Fresh air improves the brain for a sharper mind and better concentration. Higher intake of fresh air means better circulation of oxygen to your brain. This helps you feel more energized and alert, which in turn improves learning, concentration and retention.

• Fresh air improves blood pressure and heart rate. Lack of oxygen makes your heart work harder to circulate the little that it has. So, when you get more oxygen from breathing in fresh air, your heart gets a chance to relax, thus maintaining ideal heart rate and blood pressure levels.

• Fresh air is good for quick and easy digestion. This is one of the reasons many experts advise taking a walk after a meal. Stepping outside helps your body relax, which improves blood flow and lets your body properly absorb and digest whatever you’ve eaten.

• Fresh air strengthens the immune system. Replacing and repairing damaged cells and tissues in the body is a taxing process. This means that the body would require more oxygen when it needs to heal. Oxygen therapy has been proven to shorten recovery time for athletes after intense activity or exercise. Fresh air will not only give you more energy, it will make you feel better and heal faster when you need to.

The natural freshness of air is destroyed by tobacco smoke, city smog, re-circulating air in buildings, improper ventilation, exhaust, and many other pollutants. Lack of fresh air sometimes results in lack of oxygen to the brain. Side effects include fatigue, drowsiness, depression, dullness of mind, and irritability. In Elementary Science at school, we learned how trees and plants take carbon dioxide and turn it into oxygen, which humans need to breathe. Quality fresh air can be found in abundance around natural outdoor environments, like the woods, seashores and beaches.

Spending time outdoors should not be a chore; rather, it is a necessary privilege that ought to be enjoyed as much as possible. You can take advantage of the natural fresh air supply in the outdoor environment by encouraging the kids to play outdoors, growing a garden, taking walks on the road rather than the treadmill, opening the windows for cross ventilation instead of using air conditioners, etc.

Fresh air produces a healthy mind, clean lungs, and a calmer constitution. So, take the time to freely breathe the revitalizing and invigorating fresh air created by nature for your benefit!