The Great Outdoors

How much time do you spend hanging out in the great outdoors? Whether you’re hiking, jogging, or just hanging out enjoying the warmth of the sun on your skin, spending time outside and soaking proven to be good for the mind, body, and soul. Unfortunately, it’s something that fewer and fewer teens today are doing.

According to a recent article in the Washington Post, children’s advocates, environmentalists, business execs and political leaders are worried that the current generation is going to be “disconnected from nature.” These experts say that this negatively impacts teens’ “emotional well-being, physical health, learning abilities and environmental consciousness.” They’ve even come up with a new name for it: nature deficit disorder.

From the article:

From 1997 to 2003, Sandra Hoffert (family studies professor at the University of Maryland) found there was a decline of 50%, from 16% to 8%, in the proportion of children 9 to 12 who spent time in such outside activities as hiking, walking, fishing, beach play, and gardening.

Hofferth’s study also showed an increase in computer play time for all children and in time spent on television and video games for those ages 9 to 12. And it found increases in sleep time, study time, and reading time.

The article also talks about the benefits of being outdoors, noting such positive side-effects such as:

• reduced stress
• improved cognitive development
• improved creativity
• improved cooperative play

Click here for a detailed list of the benefits of playing in the outdoors.

What has been your experience? Do you enjoy spending time outside just for the sake of it? if so, what benefits do you get from communing with nature? I’d love to hear your thoughts…

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On a personal note, I grew up spending hours and hours playing outside. The backyard of our house was thick with woods, and my sister and I hung out there with the other neighborhood kids climbing trees, exploring, and getting dirty every day after school for years. Even though now I’m more of a “city girl,” spending time just “being” in nature, whether in Manhattan, LA, or Seattle, is still high on my list of things to do everyday. Over the years, I’ve realized that spending time outside, usually just with my dog Baxter, is almost a spiritual thing for me. It’s how I relax, chill, breathe…connect.