Ginny Yurich, mom of five and founder of 1000 hours outside, has gone vital. Following classic British educator Charlotte Mason's philosophy, she decided that her kids should spend as much time outside as possible on days when the weather was "tolerable". Unsure whether this was a crazy idea at first, she and her family soon started to reap the benefits — and to enjoy their time in the great outdoors. Her kids were happier, she noticed. They slept better and were healthier, getting sick much less often.
Why is the 1000 Hours Outside challenge so important?
I watched an almost entirely unmemorable movie called 2149: The Aftermath the other day. On my computer. At home, indoors, of course. It came out in 2021. I have no idea if the movie was actually lockdown-inspired, or it was just coincidentally timed to hit a bit of a raw nerve, but the basic premise was that some sort of disaster forced humans to live in complete physical isolation within so-called "sanctuary pods". Their only social contact with other humans happened through a computer. "Get back to work," the protagonist would be told, or "thank you for choosing Ambrosia food makers". "I hadn't walked more than 10 feet in the last nine years", he reflects at some point.
The movie was vaguely interesting but mostly boring because, if I'm going to be honest, it had more than a passing resemblance to my own life. The bit where the main character finally ventured outside? Yeah, that was me after I got my COVID shot!
Those of us who weren't on the front lines and who were instead sheltering in place at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic overwhelming felt trapped. We were being told not to go outside for anything other than essential activities, after all, and that was frightening and strange.
In fact, data collected by the UK government found that most folks actually went outside to exercise and relax much more often during the first lockdown. If we're chronically starved of vitamin D, fresh air, and that irreplaceable feeling of the wind on our faces, then, we can't blame the coronavirus for that. That was all us. With many people reexamining their lives now that the fog is starting to lift, though, we can indeed commit to doing something about that.
What are the benefits of spending time outside?
The physical and mental health benefits of spending time outside have been well-documented by a variety of studies, and include:
- Surprising physical health benefits that include a lower risk of developing asthma, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and vision problems of the kind that would require you to get glasses.
- Increased physical fitness and a lower risk of obesity.
- Better overall mental wellbeing, including significantly lower stress levels.
If we were to reverse that, of course, we can easily end up with a list of the consequences of failing to spend enough time outside instead.
What can you do outside?
The studies that evaluated the benefits of spending time outside further looked at the quality of that time — and found that, although spending time outside is beneficial in general, "green spaces" with a lot of trees and plants are the very best places to to be. Gardening, walks outside, hiking, jogging, other types of exercise like yoga, and simply "nature viewing" were the most popular activities. People with dogs were especially likely to spend more time outside, by walking their pooches, of course, and that is another great thing to do outdoors.
If you want to spend more time outside, it's great if you can find ways to be physically active in a green space like a public park or nature reserve. If you have children, Ginny Yurich offers plenty of tips in her self-published 1000 Hours Outside Activity Book. The truth is, however, that you'll discover new things to do all on your own — just like she did. Not everything has to be meticulously planned out. If you have a toddler, looking at bugs can keep you both occupied for hours. If you have a teenager, a jog may prove to be a surprisingly easy way to start a deeper conversation as well.
Most of us spend over 90 percent of our time inside, and we may not even hate it until we're told we can't go out — really, how sad is that? One thousand hours outside? That's:
- A little over 83 hours a month.
- Just over 19 hours per week.
- A little under three hours a day.
Walk to the grocery store, rather than driving. Meet up with a friend at a park, rather than at your home. When you throw the trash out, also take a walk around the block. Go for a 30-minute jog or walk every morning. Relax in your back yard rather than in front of the TV or computer. Once you get going, it's hard not to get to 1000 hours.
We, humans, evolved in nature and thrive there. Why watch a sad dystopian film that resembles your own sad(-ish) and dystoptian(-ish) life a little bit too closely when you can marvel at those chirping sparrows while you're enjoying a cool beer with a friend in your (now hopefully meticulously maintained) garden?
If you want to join in, but still aren't sure how you'd ever make it to 1000 hours, why not download one of Ginny's pretty 1000 Hours Outside trackers and simply take it one day at a time?