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Can Getting Outside Save Your Life And Make It 2 Times As Happy?
Research shows: yes, 120 minutes a week in nature benefits many aspects of health
As humans, we can function in nearly any environment. People are so adaptable that some people, about a thousand, live year-round in Antarctica. Antarctic winters are so cold and dark that scientists are confined to their research stations for months.
The fact that humans can survive living inside for months without ever seeing the sun doesn’t mean that staying inside all the time is healthy or good for us.
When I was young, we had a family tradition that dated back to the 1930s and Friday taco nights when my mother and aunt were young. After dinner, they would go in the back yard and “run around the bird bath.”
Thereafter, following any family meal, our family tradition became cleaning the table and going to “run around the bird bath” — taking a short walk. It turns out that this simple habit has been proven to help everyone to moderate blood sugar spikes after a meal.
Spending time in nature is an often-overlooked, but crucial part of wellness.
The kinds of walks we do at our local environmental parks are proven to be beneficial for older adults, children, and everyone…
