Why We Love Outdoor Activities

As a business based in the outdoor scene and manned by outdoor enthusiasts it’s no surprise we have a long list of reasons why we love outdoor activities. Whether it’s going on an easy hike, doing outdoor activities with the kids, or even spending some time at a dog friendly picnic spot, we hope this list inspires you to Get Out There!

The first and most important of our reasons is best told by our Head of Business and Co-Founder, Paul Schreuder, ”Getting into nature is a mentally relaxing activity, while stimulating the body through exercise relaxes the whole being. I think this enables your body to process and eliminate toxins that buildup from sitting stationary behind a desk.” This resonates with many people around the world as so many of us struggle with finding a positive outlet to destress every week. Outdoor activities give us an opportunity to get into the fresh air, increase our blood circulation and sweat out those toxins from the last hurdle we had to get over at work.

Every day presents itself with a new task and problem to solve. At ActiFinder, we like to think of these as new opportunities to do better. One of our Senior Developers, Jaco Bijker, loves outdoor activities because they help us come up with solutions to our problems. Outdoor activities, especially hiking, trail running and mountain biking, activate the executive function in our brains which controls our ability to problem solve. This means that by doing exercise, your mind is better equipped to solve issues. So the next time you find yourself in a jam about a decision, go put on some boots, shoes or cleats and go have some fun!

Our Solutions Architect and Co-Founder, Anthony Plews, loves outdoor activities for a reason many of us do as well, but don’t always realize. Humans instinctively have a primal urge to reconnect with nature and a desire to survive the elements. This may stem from our origins as humans and drives many of us to search for challenges in nature to make us feel more alive. Challenges such as mountain biking, trail running and hiking events or races provide us with unique outdoor challenges which push us to be better and demand we survive or conquer the elements of nature to prevail.

Lastly, and most commonly, we love outdoor activities for the escape from reality they provide. Senior Business Analysts and brothers, Shaun and Jaundre Loubser, as well as Social Media Marketing Manager, Luke Schreuder, all agree that the best way to escape our daily lives and switch off our minds is by getting out into nature. Whether it’s having a picnic with family or pushing yourself to achieve a personal goal in mountain biking, outdoor activities allow us to forget what’s going on at home and truly live in the moment.

And that’s why we at ActiFinder love outdoor activities. We encourage you to find a trail or an event near you to go out and enjoy yourself wherever you are in the world this weekend!