When’s the Last Time Nature Took Care of You

If this week's newsletter is arriving a little later than usual, it's for a very good reason.

My son and I just got home from several days hiking and rock climbing in Red River Gorge with his climbing team.

I'll be honest...

My muscles are sore.

I have bug bites in places I didn't know mosquitoes could find.

My hiking shoes are covered in Kentucky mud.

And I've had an up close and personal encounter with a copperhead snake that alerted my senses to say the least.

But despite all of that, I came home feeling...lighter.

Not because I burned calories.

Not because I got an incredible workout. (Though I did - yay!)

But because for a few days I disconnected from the constant inputs of everyday life and reconnected with something much bigger.

There was no endless scrolling.

No notifications demanding attention.

No rushing from one obligation to the next.

Instead there were towering sandstone cliffs, forests that seemed to stretch forever, turtles among the trees, owls swooping by the trail, and moments where everyone simply stopped to admire the beauty around us.

It reminded me of something that happened just a few weeks earlier.

Summer had been in full swing. Work was busy. We'd had several rounds of company. Fourth of July celebrations were underway. The beginning of Traverse City's Cherry Festival had the whole town buzzing.

By Saturday afternoon, I honestly wasn't sure how I was going to make it through the evening of festivities and fireworks.

My mother-in-law suggested I sneak away from the family BBQ for a quick nap.

I wandered onto a secluded patio and stretched out in a lounge chair.

As I drifted in and out of sleep, I could feel the warmth of the sun relaxing muscles I didn't even realize were tight. A gentle breeze kept me cool. Birds sang overhead while the leaves rustled softly enough to quiet every racing thought in my head.

Eventually, the peaceful sound of a wind chime gently brought me back.

For a few minutes I simply stayed there.

Feeling grateful.

Present.

Completely restored.

It reminded me of afternoons years ago lying beside the ocean, where somehow the combination of sunshine, water, fresh air and the rhythm of nature always seemed to make everything feel okay again.

That little pause changed the rest of my day.

And honestly...

It changed the rest of my week.

As a coach, people expect me to talk about protein, strength training, mobility, sleep and nutrition.

Those things absolutely matter.

But health is so much bigger than fitness and food.

It's also about restoration.

It's about creating space where your nervous system can exhale.

Whether you're deeply religious, spiritual, or someone who simply trusts the science, we now know that spending time in nature has remarkable effects on our health.

Research has shown that regular exposure to nature can:

• Lower stress hormones like cortisol.

• Reduce blood pressure and heart rate.

• Improve mood and decrease anxiety.

• Help regulate sleep.

• Increase focus and creativity.

• Reduce inflammation.

• Improve immune function.

• Encourage movement that feels joyful instead of forced.

Perhaps most importantly...

Nature reminds us that we don't always have to be producing, fixing or accomplishing.

Sometimes we simply need to receive.

The warmth of the sun.

Fresh air filling our lungs.

The sound of water.

The smell of pine trees.

The feeling of grass beneath our feet.

The quiet that allows our minds to finally slow down.

Most of us can't disappear to the mountains every weekend.

But we don't have to.

Sometimes restoration looks like:

• Drinking your morning coffee on the porch instead of at your kitchen counter.

• Taking a 10-minute walk without your phone.

• Eating lunch outside.

• Watching a sunset.

• Sitting beneath a tree.

• Gardening.

• Listening to birds before the rest of the world wakes up.

These small moments add up.

They refill a tank many of us don't even realize is empty.

As we head back into another busy week, I have two challenges for you.

First, if you don't already have one planned, schedule a larger escape into nature sometime this summer - a hiking trip, a weekend at the lake, camping, kayaking, visiting a National Park—whatever fills your soul.

Second, ask yourself:

How can I reconnect with nature this week—even if it's only for ten minutes?

Your workouts matter.

Your nutrition matters.

But so does your spirit.

Sometimes the healthiest thing you can do isn't another workout.

Sometimes it's simply letting nature take care of you.

xoxo,

Kim