4 Reasons Why We Need To Kick The Indoor Habit
The majority of us now spend a large proportion of time indoors leading a technology-packed, fast-paced lifestyle. Between our time at work, commuting, cooking and watching television, we now reportedly spend around 90{9b5e1799c250bb7746639d51488bc3942539dab32f1aeebb4b9be8a78e21ff25} of our time indoors.
As humans, we need to spend more time outdoors. As so many of us spend almost all of our time indoors, this is leading to serious health issues, which for some could prove fatal. Our bodies are built to anticipate time outdoors and this is confusing our natural systems. With less time outdoors, our bodies constantly battle to make our bones strong enough to support our weight and our eyesight is getting predominantly worse thanks to technologies. In order to feel and look healthier, we must start to spend more time outdoors when we can, and here are 4 reasons why.
#1: Your Stress Levels Will Decrease
If you are feeling stress or overwhelmed, whether at home or in work, then even just a quick walk outdoors will do huge wonders for the way that you feel. Spending time outdoors can have huge impacts on relieving stress and anxiety levels and can boost the feeling of well-being and happiness. Humans evolved whilst being outdoors, so it is only natural that you, and your brain, benefits from spending time outdoors.
#2: Increase Your Vitamin D Levels
A huge proportion of us doesn’t get nearly enough vitamin D due to the huge amount of time that we spend indoors. Recently, this has become so concerning that researchers have said that vitamin D deficiency has become recognised as an epidemic. The reason behind low vitamin D levels is that we are not getting enough sunlight and the food which we are eating doesn’t contain enough of the vitamin to satisfy our requirements. The best source of vitamin D is natural sunlight, so try to get at least 15 minutes of direct exposure per day, but you can also increase your levels with natural vitamins and supplements, such as EPA fish oil or a good quality vitamin D tablet.
#3: You Will Sleep Better
The quality of your sleep has a lot to do with your body’s hormone levels. These can be affected by light exposure, so if you’re spending too much time indoors then you become isolated from the source of your body’s natural hormone rhythms, meaning that your sleep is likely to be first to suffer. Natural sunlight helps our body to reset its natural clocks, so even just 30-60 minutes of sunlight per day is enough to improve your sleep pattern. If you are struggling with your sleeping pattern, or find it hard to set a proper schedule, then you may need to increase your vitamin and supplement intake. Fish oil capsules, magnesium and iron supplements have all been known to help you sleep better.
#4: You’ll Feel Energised
Often when we feel tired or lethargic, we reach for caffeine-based drinks or have a nap. But, in actual fact, taking a stroll outdoors is enough to make you feel energised and refreshed. Nature is fuel for our souls, so the best way to ward off exhaustion is by spending time in nature. In a recent study, 90{9b5e1799c250bb7746639d51488bc3942539dab32f1aeebb4b9be8a78e21ff25} of participants said that they felt increased levels of energy when they spent time outdoors doing activities, so rather than spending your day sitting in front of the TV, head out to your local park or woodland for some fresh air