Outdoor activities help people improve their physical and mental well-being. Participating in recovery and behavioral programs that utilize outdoor therapies as part of their treatment program can have significant benefits. Clearview understands how important it is to get our students outside, which is why we offer a variety of activities for the different seasons. With our vast, beautiful landscape located in Montana, we can ensure your daughter finds something she can enjoy doing outside.
Outdoor Activities Help Girls Feel Better in Mind and Body
Participating in outdoor activities has physical and mental benefits. A wide range of activities are available, which means there is something for everyone.
Physical Benefits
Some physical benefits include:
- Increased fitness and exercise levels
- Better sleep patterns
- Reduced stress, muscle tension, blood pressure, and heart rate
- Decreased risk of cancer
Mental and Behavioral Benefits
Examples of mental benefits include:
- Decreased risk of anxiety, stress, and depression
- Increased attention span and focus
- Reduced risk of isolation and loneliness
- Increased sense of purpose and happiness in life
Being near nature can have behavioral benefits such as:
- Increased self-control
- Improved positive affect, social behavior, and attitude
Participation in outdoor activities allows people to investigate and experiment with different options. Through these activities, your daughter will find new hobbies and learn new skills. This, in turn, can build self-esteem, confidence, and character and improve her mood. It also opens the door for her to make new connections with people, build friendships, and find a sense of belonging and community.
Finding a support system where your daughter feels loved and wanted can help improve her mental, emotional, and spiritual wellness. This support system also can encourage her to seek help when she is struggling and get back on the path to accomplishing her goals. Finding this support can be especially vital for those in recovery.
Which Outdoor Activities Help Improve Mind-Body Health?
There are a multitude of ways your daughter can interact and connect with the outdoors. Activities have a wide range of strenuousness to appeal to all types of people.
More strenuous activities include:
- Soccer
- Running
- Hiking
- Biking
- Rock climbing
- Snowboarding
- Kayaking
- Swimming
Less strenuous activities include:
- Reading
- Walking
- Bird watching
- Sitting and breathing outside
- Meditation and mindfulness
- Rafting
- Yoga
- Wading/floating in outdoor water
Clearview Knows Outdoor Activities Help Girls to Heal
As you know, we are a therapeutic center and boarding school for girls struggling with mental, emotional, and behavioral problems between the ages of 12 and 18. Our program allows girls to receive the mental and behavioral help they need while also maintaining their academics.
We provide a balance between therapy and education to ensure the girls are getting the care that will help them achieve their future goals. Our program includes different therapies to address these concerns, including indoor and outdoor experiential therapy, equine therapy, and life mentoring.
Experiential Therapy and Life Mentoring Help Girls Heal
Our location in the beautiful and expansive Montana landscape allows our students to participate in different experiences outdoors and indoors. These activities include hiking, rock climbing, camping, horseback riding, farming, and biking.
Our proximity to Schweitzer Mountain allows our students to participate in winter activities such as snowboarding, skiing, snowshoeing, and sledding. During the summer, our students can go to Lake Pend Oreille. There, they can participate in fishing, swimming, rafting, and kayaking. We also offer activities that can take place either indoors or outdoors. These activities include yoga, meditation, breathwork, and mindfulness. Some of our mostly indoor activities include learning skills through our life mentoring program.
Life mentoring is another way girls can gain practical skills. Our program teaches our students life skills to help them thrive once they graduate from our facility. These skills include cleaning, healthy eating habits, exercise, cooking, and more. The students are taught how to balance the various responsibilities of life so they don’t get overwhelmed and can maintain their progress. This program also provides another component of a girl’s support system, which she can turn to in times of struggle.
How Equine Therapy Can Help Girls Heal
Equine therapy utilizes horses for healing and has been used to treat a variety of conditions. These conditions can be behavioral, physical, and emotional. Some conditions equine therapy is used to treat include cerebral palsy, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), mood disorders, addiction, autism, and eating disorders.
Equine therapy involves grooming, bonding, caring for, and riding the horse. It allows the girls to take responsibility, build confidence, and heal. The girls can feel a sense of independence and freedom that comes from caring for these majestic animals. Girls also build a sense of connection and trust from interacting with the horse.
Participating in this therapy also improves girls’ physical health. It does this by increasing core strength, hip flexibility, and muscle tone. Also, riding without a saddle allows girls to feel the horse’s higher body temperature, which can help soothe muscles and decrease bodily tension.
Sending your teen to a program where she can participate in different outdoor activities can improve her mental and physical health. A program like this also allows her to experience new things, gain confidence in herself, find new hobbies, and grow into the young woman she wants to be. Clearview Horizon Girls Academy offers indoor and outdoor experiential therapies. Our indoor activities teach the girls everyday life skills that they’ll need once they graduate from our facility. The outdoor activities consist of different nature-based activities, such as hiking, rock climbing, snowboarding, water rafting, and fishing. If you are looking for a facility that balances different therapies, outdoor activities, and education, reach out today at 866-584-4788 for more information.
