Does Norway's Sunday Tradition Have Health Benefits?

Sunday is a very traditional day for Norwegians, and it goes all the way back to the beginning...

Before we had cell phones, computers, and televisions it was a vastly different world.

Most Norwegians spend a lot of time in the incredible outdoors hiking, trekking, swimming and just walking the beautiful nature. The connection between humans and pure nature is special in the way it can affect the body and mind. Nature can help in bringing a person into the present moment fully immersing them in their surroundings.

As we go into a new age of technology and ways of life the Norwegians place a high priority on spending time in nature. Although many Norwegians almost spend every day outdoors it has become a tradition to spend a Sunday getting out into the woods or going on a Søndagstur (Sunday trip).

 (Viking Lifestyles Staff)

As a Norwegian myself, I have noticed the extreme undeniable benefits in which can come from a Sunday exploring the outdoors. We do not realize how much time we spend on our electronic devices until we leave them inside for a couple of hours. If there is something we can all learn from the Norwegian Sunday tradition; it is that sometimes it is healthy to take a step back from everything happening electronically and open your eyes into the present.

From a science perspective we can talk about all the technical health benefits like sunlight for the vitamin D, walking for cardiovascular improvement and so on. Mentally detaching from the "blue light" that most electronic devices give off can be refreshing and beneficial to your eyes. By getting into a healthy habit of doing this routine on a Sunday, it can vastly improve your social awareness and also have a positive effect on your relationships. This is just to name a few of the benefits as there are many more; overall it is important to recognize the power of nature just as the Vikings did before us.

What are you doing next Sunday?