So when was the last time you grabbed a backpack and hiked local trails or even National Parks? Are you planning to surf your local waters this summer or bike mountain trails on an extended ride? Does the thought of these outdoor adventures intrigue you or scare you? Do you think you have what it takes to explore your surroundings and challenge yourself physically? Well, if you find yourself at least curious, then you need to meet Caroline Paul, author of the recent book Tough Broad: From Boogie Boarding to Wing Walking—How Outdoor Adventure Improves Our Lives as We Age. As a woman who has always been interested in outdoor adventures (she was the first female firefighter in San Francisco) Ms. Paul has lived a life of exploration and adventure her entire life. She’s also written that her mother was her role model, dusting off an old bike in her early 60s and going on to become a competitive cyclist until she finally had to quit the competition at age 80. Ms. Paul’s experiences and concerns led her to research why other older women did not seem to be pursuing these activities and what lessons could be learned, about women and aging, that could lead more women to experience the pleasures of exciting outdoor adventures.

We know from research that exposure to nature and experiencing all that’s available outdoors seems to have an association with longer telomere length which may lead to slower aging on the cellular level. What Ms. Paul suggests is that “getting out of your comfort zone” and pushing the boundaries of what you’re willing to explore in nature is also beneficial to freeing older women from the sexism and ageism that has perhaps undermined their self-image and confidence to keep learning and exploring and experience a positive and happy older life. She was determined to discover older women who were taking up outdoor adventures, and her book profiles a range of women doing everything from bird watching to cliff jumping, from taking up swimming to surfing waves. She’s not judgmental as to what counts as an adventure (“It’s about the experience you’re having, not the logistics of what you’re doing”) but she is definitive about what she sees as the value of older women exploring the outdoors and their abilities through outdoor adventure. As she states, “If you think your aging is going to be a time of frailty and diminution, you have a significantly higher chance of cardiac issues and earlier cognitive decline…if you see your aging journey as full of exhilaration and exploration, you will be healthier and happier.”

What are her takeaway lessons from the women she profiled and the adventures they undertook? She lists five important life and aging lessons: Your mindset matters if you want to age well; outdoor adventure can change your mindset on aging; nature is medicinal; awe is critical to have in your life; and we can learn new things as we age and learn them better than we would have as a younger person. Ms. Paul also drew some positive beneficial lessons about how these women lived their lives: These women found community in the activities they pursued, they had a purpose in their lives, they maintained their physical health, they were constantly learning new things and they had a positive view of aging- all factors associated with living a longer and healthier life.

So perhaps now is the time and season for you to push some of your boundaries and get out of your comfort zone. All you likely have to lose is your fear of becoming frail and limited in life. As a way to explore some options, consider the REI-sponsored adventure trips for women here.