Q: Is it healthy to go camping?

I find this question interesting as, in my opinion, camping is one of the healthiest things you can do!

Before I made camping a part of my lifestyle, I was running at 150 MPH trying to build a career and live a life I thought I was supposed to live. After crashing in 2013, (you can read about in my book by clicking here), I learned that I needed a way to release my mental fog and recharge myself on a consistent basis. I learned that in order to truly succeed in life and be the healthiest version of myself I needed to include the outdoors as much as possible.

Camping is not just for mental clarity though, there are many more benefits that you can receive from your time outdoors. I don’t want to leave mental clarity out because being in nature, taking some deep breaths of fresh air and learning to let things go can do wonders for your brain fog. When I learned to let things go and just embrace my time in nature, I found myself getting so clear that expanding my business and connecting with myself became very easy.

Let’s expand beyond mental clarity…

First take the physicality of camping. Whether you are sleeping in a tent, an RV or just in the bed of your truck you are physically setting up and taking down your campsite. Physical activity is something we all lack in today’s society so being able to just get out and do something physical improves your health. Take a walk, hike, or bike ride and you’ll get an even greater benefit. Some people choose to do more extreme things like kayaking, canoeing or trail running; please ensure you are physically capable and prepared when taking on these activities. Camping evokes the outdoor spirit which is one that lends itself to being physical and is always healthy.

You also need to look at the problem solving abilities that camping affords. Yes, I said problem solving skills because you truly never know what could come up while you are camping. Whether you have forgotten a can opener and have to get creative in opening that can of beans or your tent starts leaking and you have to figure out how to stop it, camping allows you to face challenges head on and find solutions that will keep you safe. Anytime you are problem solving, you are expanding your mind and allowing yourself to gain new skills, which keeps your brain healthy.

Finally, and one of my personal favorites is creating connections!It's a wonderful opportunity to not only create new connections, but build and enrich your existing ones. In 2020, when camping became all the rage, people quickly found that the connections they thought they had with their families were deepened through camping and spending time in nature together. Camping is a great way to stay connected to your kids as they grow up and create memories they will cherish forever. People also find that they establish new connections with other like-minded individuals. As humans we need to be connected to one another for our own health; camping allows us to slow down and find those deep connections with one another and foster lifelong relationships.

So if you ask me if camping is healthy, my instinct is to respond with ‘duh, of course it is!’ But perhaps you’ve never thought of all the many benefits camping has to offer. Camping offers more than just a hike or walk around the campground… Through camping, you can find peace, relief from your daily stressors, and deep, long lasting connections that will ultimately lead you to optimal health and wellness.

Share your experience with camping or send me an email directly at jessica@jessicalrider.com. I’d love to hear what you are doing, or what might be holding you back and how I can help.