10 Ways to Embrace Adventure at Any Age

About 30 minutes into my trail runs I get that feeling described as The Zone.

At this point I've jogged away the grogginess of the early morning. I'm scanning the trail ahead for obstacles while dodging tree roots, hopping streams and carefully placing my feet to avoid a tumble. I'm intensely present. A lift in mood comes over me — and with it mental clarity.

This mindfulness is our emotional response to what mental health experts broadly define as adventurous activities — any undertaking that requires focus on the task at hand. Being in nature helps, but the activity doesn't need to be risky or even physically demanding, only one that challenges us, appeals to our curiosity or requires us to learn something new.

"It can be as simple as scavenger hunts on walks, exploring the surrounding areas," says Hillary Cauthen, PsyD, CMPC, and executive board member for the Association for Applied Sport Psychology. "The real question is: Which activity do you need to assist in providing you the core coping and emotional boost at the time? This mindset will add clarity, confidence and enhanced creativity."

See the following 10 low-risk, big-reward ideas for attainable adventures.

The positive impact of outdoor adventure on the mental well-being of young adults has been documented in the Journal of Adolescence.

But Sarah Goldman, director of Professional & Virtual Programs for Outward Bound, says adults have a lot to gain from regularly challenging themselves, too, particularly in an outdoor environment.

An "adventure" can be any activity that breaks the patterns or routines we've set for ourselves, says Goldman, adding that most of the adults in her outdoor leadership activity are trying skills — like rock climbing — in the Outward Bound programs for the first time.

Never kayaked? Take a class that teaches the basics. Want to learn how to mountain bike? Or, what about sailing? Give it a try.

"The value in these courses for adults has a much different significance than it does for teenagers," says Goldman. "These experiences hold a mirror up for them. The lack of distraction allows them to take stock and take inventory and go back to their normal routine with a different perspective."

Haven't climbed a tree since you were a kid? Then this sounds like the perfect time. Organizations like Piedmont Tree Climbing provide the equipment and teach how to climb safely. "It's so important — that deliberate pursuit of challenge," says Goldman. "As adults, we forget how good that feels. We need that reminder of what we can do and what we're capable of."

On my morning trail runs, I often pass the same photographer toting a tripod. He's always smiling, clearly enjoying his hunt for the perfect shot — what naturopathic physician Dr. Taryn Forrelli calls an "awe activity."

"All of my best thoughts happen out on the trails," says Dr. Forrelli, who says you can enjoy beneficial brain chemistry created simply by being out in nature. "Just being in the presence of forest environments lowers cortisol, the body’s main stress hormone," she says. "So much goodness comes from being surrounded by nature. That in itself is a form of medicine."

I like to think of orienteering as a scavenger hunt of sorts. Participants use a map and compass to find control points, unsually on an outdoor course in a park. Here's the "adventure" part — you have to choose how to navigate to each point. Is it better to take a trail or faster to head straight over land? You weigh the pros and cons of all the possible routes and decide.

Find an orienteering club near you that organizes timed orienteering meets. A local park may have permanently marked orienteering courses that you can visit at your convenience.

The notion of breaking patterns can be applied to your fitness routine, too. Cross training — mixing up your routine rather than repeating the same movements every workout — is important to building a fitness foundation, says Melanie Hof, a certified athletic trainer who treats sports injuries for Emory Healthcare. "Routine can be comfortable, but getting out of the comfort zone can challenge the mind and body to grow."

Hof advises building a fitness foundation gradually. "Maybe one day you’re tired or your legs hurt after a walk or run. It's the perfect time to go swimming or even try upper body strength training."

If you need help with a plan, consider contacting a personal trainer to design a cross-training program for you. And yes, there are more than a few apps for that, too.

Here are two ideas in one: Seek out a new park for your nature walks then see how quickly you can learn to identify the plants along the way. One of my local running trails winds through a botanical garden with small signs identifying featured plants and trees. There are plenty of field guides available, too, including this National Geographic Pocket Guide to Wildflowers of North America. I've got this field guide in my library.

Rather use an app? This site lists its top free plant identification apps.

If challenge is essential to adventure, then traveling solo certainly qualifies as such. Planning, packing and adapting to the inevitable changes as a trip unfolds — all on your own — stresses problem solving skills and can lead to some life-altering self discoveries. A quick weekend camping trip close to home can work just as well as a solo international escape. See our list of 10 US destinations to try.

Rather than drive that familiar route to your job, restaurant or grocery store, try riding it on your bicycle (as long as it's safe). The slower pace of a bike ride provides a chance to appreciate what makes your neighborhood special or to notice changes to your surroundings otherwise missed from the diver's seat of a car. When was that house built? Wow, that tree turns a lovely shade of red in the fall! Simply enjoying the sensation of ticking off miles of road under your own power can be enough to calm and enhance clarity, says Cauthen.

Check for a local bike coalition like mine in Atlanta that offers such resources as suggested safe riding routes and the latest laws affecting cyclists.

For me, it's easy to lose track of time when I go trail running. Maybe I'm too busy concentrating on the obstacles ahead of me on the trail to think about all the obstacles I'll face off it — all the life decisions and work challenges waiting for me. The time spent running is a mental breather and a chance to refocus.

By fully focusing your attention on the present moment, you can tap into the flow state, which is one of the greatest gifts of the trail. "It's the body's reward. It's one of the best forms of medicine you can get," says Dr. Forrelli.