There are many reasons to become a naturist, of course. I like to divide them into three categories: practical, societal, and spiritual. This list is not exhaustive by any means, but here are a few of the main practical reasons I (and many others out there) have adopted the nudist lifestyle:
Freer Movement
When you’re not wearing any clothes, your range of motion is restricted only by the limits of your body. This is particularly great when exercising, but is true of any other physical exertion as well. Indeed, my exercising naked as a teen is probably one of the main reasons I became a nudist: took off my clothes to exercise and just didn’t bother putting them on again afterward!
Eco-Friendliness
Being a naturist is, perhaps not surprisingly, a very nature-friendly option. In particular, the fewer clothes you wear, the less often you have to launder them. As a result, you save water. In addition, by not wearing clothes so much, you don’t wear them out so often, and so don’t have to go get replacements quite so often, and so fewer resources need be used in manufacturing more clothing. Not so great for the textile industry, perhaps, but good for Mother Earth.
(Additionally, if like me you enjoy a good “rain shower” or have the golden opportunity to go skinny dipping regularly, you need never run water for the purpose of showering in halfway decent weather!)
Temperature Regulation
In cold weather, nudists face the tough choice of either turning up the thermostat (and thereby running up the energy bill) or putting on clothes to keep warm. However, in warm or outright hot weather, the answer is simple: ditch those clingy, heat-retaining garments as soon as possible! Not only does this help keep you cooler, but for those who spend a lot of time outdoors, it can be a fine way to eliminate that pesky tan line.
“Toughening”
This one really only applies to dedicated long-term nudists who spend a lot of time outdoors. If you are such a fortunate individual, you will find that as you are exposed to the elements more, you tend to experience sort of a toughening up of your skin. Your feet develop callouses from walking over rough surfaces; and as your skin becomes used to sun, wind, and contact with various other surfaces you’ll notice that you become rather used to them. Weathered, as it were.
Growth of Confidence
As you spend more and more time with yourself in your simplest, most natural state, you will find that all the trappings that you wear for the sake of others’ “decency” don’t really define who you are. You begin to get used to simply being yourself, and grow comfortable with that. It’s subtle, but it can be really great for growing your self-confidence, especially if you have body image issues.
As stated above, these are but a few of the practical benefits to pursuing the naturist lifestyle. Next time I’ll talk about the social side of nudism, and what benefits can arise from spending time in the company of other people while in your natural state.
The Nudetopian 