In or Out?

Although many children's books depict children's worlds as an endless adventure that leads them to discover new things, add extraordinary memories to their lives, and provide them with the means to be creative, reality hits us with a different tale about a generation confined to four walls, staring at screens for hours without even moving a muscle.

Unfortunately, even during summer, the season of free time that could be spent doing anything they want without activities to occupy their time has become the same. In addition, hanging out, social activities, and spending time outdoors have been restricted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Children now seem to be stranded though feeling secure with no option of having fresh air or sunshine.

You are in lockdown

With a brief look at what deprives you of spending so much time indoors, we find that it prevents you from having sunshine, which helps calibrate the circadian clock of your body, which is responsible for controlling the levels of appetite, sleep, mood, and energy. The circadian clock gets disturbed when not having enough sunlight, resulting in sleep instability, which is directly related to a decreased response of the immune system.

It is not only about not having enough sunshine, but it also extends to losing time in the natural world, which, as experiments demonstrate, helps increase your vitality by almost 40 percent. In addition, further evidence connects good mood, decreased pain sensation, and milder symptoms of children's attention-related disorders to spending time outside, which also plays a role in helping them concentrate and relax more.

Exposure to sunlight, in addition to the above benefits, promotes the development of vitamin D in the skin in response to UVB exposure, which is beneficial for strengthening our bones and teeth, and also has a major impact on our immune cells. Vitamin D also offers the first line of protection against respiratory diseases that directly destroy bacteria and viruses.

Engage with nature

Now, let's move on to nature and how you can take advantage of spending time there. Can you believe that spending time amongst trees can have a direct effect on your immune system? In Japan, scientists have indicated that the inhalation of substances called phytoncides released by trees may contribute to raising the number and activity of our immune cells that help detect and kill cancer cells and viruses.

In addition, natural involvement decreases heart rate and blood pressure and helps to minimize the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and early death.

A Cautious and Effective Way

Yeah, we have been forced to spend much of our time indoors by the pandemic; however, there are still some opportunities to go out and absorb all the advantages of sunshine and interact with nature. The virus spreads mainly through respiratory droplets released by coughing, sneezing, talking, or singing from the infected person, and that can not deprive you of the enjoyment of outdoor walking, running, biking, fishing, and fitness classes.

In order to get the outdoor benefits while staying healthy, here are the precautions you need:

• Keep one meter away from other citizens at least;

• Wear a face mask near others;

• Box a hand sanitizer and wash your hands frequently;

• Avoid busy hours and crowded setups.

In short, do not miss the opportunity to go outside and get the full package of those advantages. To feel the immediate improving results, just leave your mobile and get some fresh air.