modern British children spend less time outside than prison inmates which is hardly surprising when you consider the fact that they are either enrolled in some sort of day/after school care program or spend their free time with their digital nanny.
Yet spending time outside benefits both kids and adults. It will not only improve your memory and relieve stress, but may protect you against cancer, depression and various other ailments:
Research on this connection is still in its earliest phases, but a few preliminary studies have suggested that spending time in nature — in forests, in particular — may stimulate the production of anti-cancer proteins. The boosted levels of these proteins may last up to seven days after a relaxing trip into the woods...
The cellular activity that is associated with a forest's possible anti-cancer effects is also indicative of a general boost to the immune system you rely on to fight off less serious ills, like colds, flus, and other infections...
Anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues may all be eased by some time in the great outdoors — especially when that's combined with exercise. This is to be expected, as both greenery and exercise are known to reduce stress.
You know who usually has time to take her kids to the park during the week? And whose husband doesn't have to do chores on weekends so that he can relax after his hard work and take his family to a forest? That's the lady of the house, a traditional homemaker/housewife:)
Read the whole article over here:
Why being outside is healthy
I try to spend as much time outside as I can.
ReplyDeleteI have read that especially in America it is very difficult to just be outside, because cities are built for cars, not for walkers or bikers. I have read about one american guy who came to Finland as exchange student and decided to stay. Bicycling was his hobby and he was stunned that here you do not need to DRIVE A CAR somewhere to go biking; you can just bike everywhere. I reckon it is the same in most Europian countries, biking made easy?
We also have kindergartens where kids spent all day outside in the woods. They only eat and nap indoors.
I wish we had kindergartens like this! Spending time in the woods is much better for the kids and they'll probably learn more useful stuff, too.
ReplyDeleteWe do bicycle a lot, though and you can mostly walk everywhere, too.