The article discusses the significant health benefits of spending time in nature, as highlighted by a study from the University of Exeter, which found that dedicating just two hours a week to green spaces greatly enhances physical, emotional, and mental well-being. Despite these benefits, many people struggle to prioritize outdoor activities due to urban living and demanding indoor jobs, spending nearly 93% of their time indoors. To encourage more interaction with nature, the author suggests several actionable ideas, such as commuting by walking or biking to work or school, dining outside during lunch breaks, and taking workouts outdoors instead of in a gym. Additionally, individuals can engage in outdoor hobbies like photography, reading, gardening, or hosting gatherings with friends. The article concludes by emphasizing that, similar to Theodore Roosevelt’s transformative experience in nature after personal losses, individuals can find healing and fulfillment through regular outdoor engagement, urging them to make nature a priority in their lives.
Getting into the Outdoorsby Santiago GonzalesAn article on Yale University’s website by Jim Robbins titled “Ecopsychology: HowImmersion in Nature Benefits Your Health” describes a study conducted by theUniversity of Exeter on the benefits of spending time in nature. In the study, 20,000people were required to spend two hours a week in green spaces. They could eitherspend the two hours outside all at once, or split it up into smaller time incrementsthroughout the week. The study showed that this time in nature significantlyincreased people’s physical, emotional, and mental health.This probably doesn’t sound like super new information, after all, many peoplewould agree that spending time in nature is a good thing. However, the problem isthat most people simply do not make it a priority, or they don’t have easy access tonature. The world is becoming more urban and with that comes fewer green spacesfor people to actually encounter nature. Also, many people have office jobs thatrequire them to be inside all day. The amount of time people spend indoors isactually staggering. On the Florida Health official government website, it states, “onaverage, Americans spend nearly 93 percent of their time indoors.”However, it does not have to stay this way. People can choose to make nature moreof a priority in their lives. Here are a few easy suggestions on how to bring natureinto people’s lives.Walk or Bike to School or WorkOne way to spend more time in nature is simply using commute time to do so. Noteveryone lives close enough to their school or workplace to walk or bike in, butthose who do should take advantage of it.In an article titled “Healthy Benefits of Walking and Biking to School,” Dr. JenniferRupert, MD states that students who increase their outdoor time by walking orbiking to school will have lower stress levels, better academic performance, andbetter overall physical health. Obviously, similar benefits can be found in adultswho use walking or biking as their way to get to work. After all, who wouldn’tprefer strolling or pedaling along a nature path rather than sitting in gridlock on acrowded interstate during rush hour?Eat Your Lunch OutsideThere’s no reason to sit inside during your lunch break when you can go outdoorsand dine instead. Find a bench and eat in the park. Or spread out a blanket and eaton the grass. What if the weather is too cold or too hot? You’re not Goldilocks whohas to have the perfect most ideal situation. Be flexible and improvise. Bundle up onwintry days and find some shade on summer days. If it’s raining, just grab anumbrella.One of the great things about eating your lunch outdoors is that when you’refinished, you can go for a quick walk in the surrounding area. This time will helpyou reflect on your day and think about what you have and want to accomplish. Itwill also allow you to reset yourself before you go back to the tasks you need tocomplete.Kick Your Workouts out of the GymA lot of people enjoy going to the gym to work out. They like the treadmills,weights stations, lifting machines, and the fitness classes offered at such facilities.However, if these same people would consider skipping the gym and working outoutside, they would create a win-win situation.There are many ways a person can work out outside. For one, instead of running ona treadmill, they can run on a sidewalk, outdoor track, or trail. Another way peoplecan incorporate a workout into time spent outside is by joining a sports league orstarting up a club with a group of like-minded friends. Soccer, tennis, golf, football,baseball, and swimming are all great examples of sports that can be enjoyedoutdoors. And who says weight training has to be done inside? A person could eithertake the weights outdoors themselves, or they could think creatively and use outdoorobjects in their weightlifting routines.Outdoor HobbiesSo far, the ideas mentioned have been physically active ones. However, there aremany other ways to spend time outdoors that have nothing to do with physicalactivity. If a person loves to take photos, then why not take the camera outdoors andshoot some nature photography? If a person loves to read, they can relax in ahammock, sit on an outdoor bench, or chill on a blanket spread out on the grass andread the latest novel. If a person loves to spend time socializing, they could invitefriends over for an outdoor meal, to go stargazing, or just to sit and chat around afire pit. Those with a green thumb can also put their skills to the test by starting anoutdoor garden and spending time everyday weeding, pruning, and taking care oftheir plants. Some of these pastimes can be done during a lunch hour.Life Changing ResultsIn the late 1800s, Theodore Roosevelt suffered two significant personal losses in hislife with the death of both his mother and his wife on the same day. As a way to dealwith his grief, he left the urban sprawl of New York City and traveled far to the westto make a new life for himself in the Dakota Territory. While there, the time hespent in nature would not only serve to heal him but would also transform the rest ofhis life. As he would later remark, “I have always said I would not have beenPresident had it not been for my experience in North Dakota. It was here that theromance of my life began.”People everywhere can find inspiration in Roosevelt’s experience. They, too, can discover similar benefits from time spent in nature, if they’Il just find ways to make it a real priority in their lives.
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