Seven ways your membership can help you recharge outdoors

A hiker sitting looking at the view from the Brecon Beacons — A hiker takes in the views from the Brecon Beacons | © National Trust Images / James Dobson

Getting outside and exploring the outdoors can help you to feel more energised, uplifted and refreshed. Here are seven reasons why joining the National Trust and heading outside to new places could refresh your body and mind as you discover landscapes full of rugged mountains, rolling countryside and calming coastline.

Change your horizons: Open up your horizons by exploring further afield. Big views can give you a new perspective on everyday life. So why not traverse the wild trails of the Chilterns, stare across the panoramas of the Peak District, or stride through the dramatic setting of Cheddar Gorge?
Accomplish your fitness goals: How about heading somewhere a little more wild to motivate you? Climbing Kinder Scout or White Horse Hill may require a fair bit of effort, but the feeling of truly getting away from it all when you make it to the top more than makes up for it. The exhilarating rush of achieving your goal is hard to beat.
Make new wild friends: From seals on the Cornish coast and rare butterflies in Somerset, to wild deer in North Yorkshire and red squirrels in the Lake District, a little bit of animal spotting can really get you and your family closer to nature. With a wide range of wildlife to satisfy the keenest nature lover, and free parking for members at lots of places too, you can take your pick of wild places to visit.
Start a new cycle: Give your health a boost at National Trust places as you whizz along on two wheels. We look after miles of cycle routes, so get off the beaten track and explore somewhere new by bike. Try Longshaw in Derbyshire with views across the Hope Valley, or a coastal ride at Mortehoe in Devon.
Stir up your senses: Nature has some incredible ways to awaken your senses and make you feel refreshed. Lose yourself in the earthy smell of a forest floor at Hatfield, the exhilarating sound of the waves at Blakeney Point or the colours in the Stourhead landscape. As a member, you’d be helping us to safeguard these places for future generations to experience.
Feel exhilarated: Running outside allows you to enjoy a constantly changing landscape as the backdrop to your fitness endeavours. Wild running can really shake things up as it's a world away from the treadmill. Running somewhere new and beautiful can really energise you and make you feel that little bit more connected to the nature all around you.
Find tranquility in nature: Calm your busy mind with nature’s help. Discover carpets of fallen leaves in quiet, mysterious woods, silent mists settling over fields, or fresh snowfall on wide open landscapes. Enjoy the peaceful moments while you take in the brilliance of the season.

Visitors in the garden in autumn at Stourhead, Wiltshire

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