After spending the weekend unplugging from the world and plugging into my family, I am convinced that we all need to experience fresh mountain air at least once a year.
I spent a lot of my youth up in the mountains. From the time I can remember, my family spent a good portion of our summer at our family cabin at Donner Lake in Truckee, California. My brother, my cousin (who usually spent the summers with us), and I would spend our days swimming in the very cold snow runoff lake. We would hear the railroad tracks from our cabin window and take off up the mountain to see if we could catch a glimpse of the train passing through the tunnels. We would BBQ at the beach, make forts through the brush that landscaped our cabin, and learn how to play every family game you could imagine (my mom’s favorite game was the Ungame, which took out all competition and to be honest, was not very fun!).
I didn’t realize when I was young just how healthy and healing being up there was for me. I just knew that it was one of my favorite places in the whole world and was a place I gravitated to as I got older. I spent nearly every summer in college living at our cabin and working for a rafting company. I have spent nearly every single 4th of July weekend there and countless other holidays both in summer and in the snow. And looking back, my times up in the mountains were some of my best childhood memories.
Why Fresh Mountain Air Is Good For Your Body
The mountains are filled with health benefits. Yes, a little trip to the pine-filled mountains can help reset your body and renew your spirit. Here’s how:
- Decrease allergies and asthma – Mountain air gives our bodies a chance to inhale air that is free of many of the pollutants and gases found in a city. This helps with common allergies and even asthma.
- Assist weight loss – Recent studies show that time spent in higher altitudes decreases appetites and can help lower the risk of obesity. It is no coincidence that Colorado has one of the lowest obesity rates in the country.
- Lower blood pressure and cholesterol – Another study revealed that living at higher elevations can reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome, which includes conditions such as high blood pressure and sugar levels, elevated cholesterol, and excess body fat.
- Help lower the risk of cardiovascular disease – Research has shown that living at higher altitudes can help lower the risk of developing certain types of heart disease. In fact, those living at 5,000 feet elevation or higher have longer life expectancies than those who live at or near sea level. The reduced oxygen from higher elevations also helps the body create new blood vessel pathways for oxygen to flow.
Why Fresh Mountain Air Is Good For Your Soul
You are probably already sold on the idea that heading to the mountains at least once a year would be good for your body. But there are even more, perhaps more profound, reasons you should head to the trees for some deep relaxation and rejuvenation:
- Get happier – Are you like me and immediately take a huge breath in and out as soon as you step out of the car door when you arrive in the mountains? The fresh air is intoxicating. But there is some science behind why fresh mountain air smells so good! Many of the plants found in the mountains release naturally occurring hydrocarbons called terpenes, and these have all sorts of health benefits. Plants like lavender can promote relaxation and a good night’s sleep. And pine, one of my favorite mountain scents, has been shown to decrease stress and depression and help our respiratory system.
- Find peace – There is something special about being up in the mountains that creates a calming effect. Hearing a trickling stream, seeing the birds perched high on the pine trees, and being able to see the billions of stars light up the sky are powerful reminders of the beauty that surrounds us. I often forget how bright stars are because of how dimmed they are by city street lights. The mountains bring you up close to nature and in my experience, closer to our Creator. Life is simpler in the mountains and in simplicity, there is peace.
- Disconnect and connect – For my family, being up in the mountains draws us outdoors. The fresh air, the quiet nights, and the beauty that surrounds us encourage us to unplug from our day-to-day lives. There are several hours, sometimes a full day, that will go by when my husband and I forget where our phones are. We read out on the back deck, we play cards with our kids, we stop and notice the birds nesting in the trees, and we take in the nature that we are surrounded by.
- Promote healthy living – Being in the mountains is often an inspiring place for activity. Do you ever notice when you are in the mountains you just want to be more active? At home, my kids don’t often want to hike in the great outdoors. But when we are in the mountains, it’s as if there is a whole new world waiting to be explored. One time, I hiked with my girls (then 6 years old) all the way up to the railroad tracks from our cabin, which was about 40 minutes of steep climbing. They were thrilled to be seeing new land, charting new territory, and establishing landmarks so that we could make our way back home.
Why Your Next Vacation Should Be to the Mountains
Okay, so we have already determined that fresh mountain air is great for the body and the soul. But if you are still deciding where to take your family on the next vacation, let me point a few more things out:
- Vacationing in the mountains is cheaper than any Disney theme park.
- The mountains are often less crowded than the beach.
- Vacations to the mountains are accessible all year long.
- Mountain vacations allow you to come back rejuvenated from the solitude rather than overstimulated from the crowds.
- You can leave the make-up and hair dryers at home—mountain vacations often encourage the no-fuss lifestyle.
- You can bring Fido too! Many mountain vacation homes are pet-friendly, so you can include your fur baby in all the activities.
Your next family trek to the mountains might just be the best medicine for your body and the most rejuvenation for your spirit.
