Time spent outdoors is Beneficial - Essay Example

Full & Number: 06 February (estimated word count = 700) Time Spent Outdoors is Beneficial Todays modern lifestyles has caused people to stay more time indoors than outdoors. It is quite anomalous as man is originally designed for living on the external environment other than the need to stay indoors from time to time so as to avoid inclement weather conditions. A general consensus is that man as a primitive spent more time outdoors than indoors in looking for food; time spent indoors was quite limited to some essentials only like sleep and sex.

This modern society has forced people to spend more time indoors such as in high-rise offices and the greater part of the day working inside and then go home to their residential condominium buildings to rest and sleep, so that this has led to a sedentary way of life for most. This kind of lifestyle has a deleterious or adverse effect on a persons health in the long run.Outdoors refers to places in a natural setting when in some rural areas or in semi-natural environments when in out-of-town suburban places or when in highly urbanized cities, to any place that is outside of any building or dwelling.

In this regard, it is vital for people to get out especially during daytime in order to get the beneficial effects of sunshine, such as vitamin D. Other than that, they also get fresh air as opposed to breathing indoor air produced by the air conditioners which have become quite ubiquitous these days and may contain toxins. Spending time outdoors and staying in the sunshine also has some psychological effects on people, as they will raise their spirits and avoid depressed moods. In other words, spending time outdoors clears the mind and raises the spirits of people as they can see and appreciate all the beauty of nature.

Time spent outdoors can be particularly enjoyable if they also engage in some recreational activities or leisurely pursuits like cycling, hiking, camping or fishing. The idea of spending time outdoors is to engage in some physical activity that will let a person burn off excess calories and avoid the dangers of obesity and its associated ailments. A person who is quite active and spends a considerable amount of time outdoors tends to be a bit healthier compared to a person who sits in the office the whole day.

This is why doctors and other health care practitioners and wellness advocates encourage people to be active whenever they have spare time to do so. However, people need not stay too long in direct sunlight as it is also dangerous in some respects, such as the ultra-violet rays that can cause skin cancer. A few minutes each day of sun exposure is enough to get the benefits of vitamin D which is also required by the human body to maintain optimal health (Holick & Jenkins 29). In other words, sunshine is powerful medicine, literally.

People in ancient times had the strong reasons for sun worship without fully knowing the benefits of helio-therapy but they in effect had a good idea that spending more time outdoors is definitely very beneficial for them. The human body is designed for movement, such as walking, running, climbing or hiking and any physical activity has cardiovascular benefits as well as avoiding obesity which is a cause of such modern-day ailments like heart attacks, stroke, arteriosclerosis and diabetes. People, however, should not overexpose themselves to the sun as it causes wrinkles and ageing spots.

In general, sun exposure done in moderation is beneficial physically and emotionally. Spending time outdoors has many beneficial effects, such as a shaper mental focus and a higher degree of concentration. The benefits of staying outdoors extends not only to the adults but even more so when children are allowed to play outside. It brightens the mood and help to create a more optimistic outlook in life (Sherwood, William & Rockwell 9); moreover, a time spent outdoors also keeps a family to form close bonds.

Family time, vacations and bonding in the outdoors benefits everybody. There is clean air, natural beauty to see and appreciate and in general, keeps the spirits up by spending more time outdoors than indoors. Works CitedHolick, Michael F. & Jenkins, Mark. The UV Advantage. University Park, PA, USA: Pennsylvania State University Press, 2005. Print.Sherwood, Elizabeth A., Williams, Robert A. & Rockwell, Robert E. Science Adventures: Nature Activities for Young Children. Lewisville, NC, USA: Gryphon House, Inc. 2008. Print.