For decades billions of us have been spending the majority of our time indoors. We work indoors, we live indoors, and we have access to home entertainment indoors. But at what cost?
While many of us aren’t able to adapt this lifestyle, we should choose to spend a bit more time outdoors, and reap the rewards of doing so. Why? Well in a time where life is mostly lived inside four walls, a bit of sunshine and fresh air can do the world of good for both our physical and mental wellbeing. But what really happens to your body when you stop going outside?
Spending little time outside means you’re not getting enough sunlight, which can affect your levels of serotonin.
Serotonin, also known as the feel-good chemical, is a neurotransmitter. It plays an important role as a mood stabilizer and impacts on how good we feel.Stuck indoors you won’t produce as much serotonin and may even develop higher levels of aggressiveness, according to a University of Cambridge study.
Exposure to natural light (especially in the morning) helps to regulate your circadian rhythm (sleep/wake cycle). Not going outside enough can impact this cycle. Natural light increases the production of melatonin, the hormone responsible for sleep. Its production naturally rises before bedtime and falls upon waking. Not going outside during the day will hinder this process.If you’re indoors, and especially if exposed to blue light from electronic devices (e.g. smart phones), the levels of melatonin may not drop as quickly. Subsequently you’ll find it difficult to get out of bed. “Our brains say we should be sleeping several hours after we wake up,” explains sleep specialist professor Kenneth Wright.
Vitamin D is naturally produced when our skin is exposed to sunlight. Low levels of vitamin D have been associated with numerous health issues, including said aches and pains. A 2003 study found that 93% of 150 participants who complained of chronic pain, had “extremely low” vitamin D levels.
Healthy vitamin D levels really are important. Not only can a deficiency manifest through discomfort, but your gut health may also suffer.Low levels of vitamin D have been linked to the development of inflammatory bowel disease.
The term “cabin fever” is often used to describe a range of feelings one experiences when stuck in a closed space for a long period of time.While symptoms may vary from person to person, a study found that some common indicators were boredom, agitation, and general dissatisfaction.
Many people struggle with allergies, including seasonal allergies (e.g. hay fever). These have in fact increased over the years and scientists believe one of the reasons is because we’re not going outside as much. Again, vitamin D plays an important role here as it’s believed to activate cells that help counter the severity of allergic reactions. So, paradoxically, going out might actually be beneficial when it comes to managing allergies.
Many of us have a tendency to spend more time indoors when we’re tired and stressed out. We tend to seek comfort in our homes and avoid the outside world. But as it turns out, venturing beyond the front door is one of the best things you can do to improve mental wellbeing.”When we spend time [outside] the noises, textures, the light and smells of nature are a naturally conducive message for the brain to slow down,” explains psychotherapist Owen O’Kane. “An added advantage is that it also supports an increase of serotonin and dopamine. These are the feel good hormones, helping you feel calmer and happier.”
Excessive and unprotected sun exposure can lead to skin cancer. Conversely, too little sunlight also increases the risk of developing other types of cancer.A study conducted by researchers from the Commonwealth Medical College found that three-fourths of cancer patients (with various types of cancer) had low levels of vitamin D.
We tend to lose some cognitive capability as we grow older, including memory. Fortunately there are ways to exercise and improve our memory and keep our brains healthy as we age. And guess what. One of them is to go outside. A 2008 study conducted by the University of Michigan found that taking a walk surrounded by nature improved the short-term memory of participants by nearly 20%.
Spending time at home is a good thing, but doing so for long periods of time “can facilitate and exacerbate symptoms of depression,” says clinical psychologist Stephanie J. Wong.“While it may seem comforting to spend time in bed, wrapped up in the covers, doing so for long periods of time can decrease your motivation to engage in other activities,” explained Wong.
Feeling constantly fatigued is not a great way to spend your day. But not obtaining enough vitamin D can make you feel tired, both mentally and physically. Plus, the lack of movement can aggravate this (we tend to move less when we’re indoors).Research conducted on the vitalizing effects of embracing a natural environment found that “being outdoors was associated with greater vitality, a relation that was mediated by the presence of natural elements.”
Spending a lot of time indoors is often associated with a sedentary lifestyle. As such, you become more vulnerable to health issues such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. You are also more likely to spend time sitting down and eating. “There’s convincing evidence in adults that the more television they watch, the more likely they are to gain weight or become overweight or obese,” said Lilian Cheung, director of health promotion and communication at Harvard School of Public Health.
Playing outside can have a positive impact on a child’s eyesight. Doing so can reduce a youngster’s chances of needing glasses in the future. If a child has two nearsighted parents, their chances of needing glasses is about 60% if they don’t spend much time outdoors. But if a child spends about 14 hours per week outside the house the chances of needing glasses reduces to about 20%, which is the same as a child whose parents are not nearsighted.
This may sound contradictory. After all, how can one be exposed to more pollutants indoors? This will obviously depend on where you live, but air pollution is not just caused by car exhausts and other gasses. The air in our homes can actually be more polluted than the air outside. “From cooking residue to paints, varnishes and fungal spores, the air we breathe indoors is often more polluted than that outside,” warns researcher Prashant Kumar.
