I am writing this post from my back porch. After a long string of rainy days the sky is finally cloudless, and so, here I am, trying to enjoy some of the last days of summer. Even though I work from home, it’s often easier just to sit at my desk rather than go outside. But I’m always glad when I do.
Over the past few years, researchers have been finding all sorts of health benefits associated with being outside (for one list of the benefits of sunshine, see this article from US News). People feel more relaxed when they’re around nature, and kids feel less stress.
So how can you engineer more time outside? You can exercise outdoors in the AM (as we discussed yesterday). You can take that boring conference call outside with your cell. You can eat lunch outside. You can go for after-dinner walks with your family. Last Friday, we decided to head over to Valley Forge to take advantage of the national monument’s “till sundown” hours to go tromp along the paths.
How do you build outdoor time into your days?
(Photo courtesy flickr user S. John Davey)
Great post ! I love it! I always try to come outside after work at a home office or in any office or meeting.. also helps you transition to free time. I definitely also find my kids easier to deal with outside! Rain, rain go away!
We play hockey in the driveway. My kids are up and ready early so they ride bikes before the bus comes for school. We (including me) rollerskate around the neighborhood. On weekends we load up the bike rack and head to the nearest state park. My 8 and 4 year-olds can bike for 1 1/2 hours now! (with short breaks) We also hit the beach a lot.
In reference to yesterday, if the workout DVD is challenging enough, and the book on the treadmill rack is good enough, the exercise time in the basement isn’t so depressing. If I didn’t exercise in the basement, it wouldn’t get done. Working out at home is much more efficient for me, though now I run early on weekend mornings when my husband is home.
I work on a gorgeous college campus, so I try to remember to get up every 90 minutes or so and just walk around outside for 5-10 minutes. I never regret it, but it’s interesting how hard it is for me to remember to do this.
@Liz – so true. Sometimes I honestly have to remind myself to go work outside. There’s little reason not to (even if rainy – my porch is covered!) but it’s always easier to just stay put. Maybe putting it on to-do list. Or creating errands that don’t actually have to happen (but give you an excuse to walk briskly outside…)