With One Hour Outside, I am trying to encourage people to leave the comfort of their desk or sofa or kitchen (or wherever you happen to be), and go outside for a little bit of time every single day.
It might be before work, at lunch time, or in the evening. You may go walking, cycling, or simply sit down somewhere and enjoy a few moments of calm. There may be errands to run, or you may spend your outdoors time eating. It might even involve going on an expedition, playing a team sport, or doing something you have never done before.
Whatever it is, it always involves being outside. Through this I am trying to say two things; first, that we all have time to get outside into the fresh air and natural light if we choose to. And second, that spending time outside is for all of us, regardless of fitness, life goals, or perceived level of adventure.
Good For Us
We all know that getting outside is good for us. The science is so well documented these days; there are many reasons why we should be making an effort to spend as much time outdoors as possible. The fresh air and natural light is good for our body, our mind, and possibly most importantly, our soul. Especially in autumn and winter.
But there is this weird underlying belief in some circles that the great outdoors is reserved for those going on big adventures or expeditions, that it involves a huge financial or time commitment, or that you have to be an expert to enjoy it. Happily, that’s just not the case. The outdoors is open – for everyone.
With all of that in mind, I wanted to write this quick post to share a few very important notes about getting outside. Just in case you need a reminder…
Five Short Notes on Getting Outside
01 Going outside doesn’t have to be way out there; it can be in your own town or garden.
02 Being outside could be part of your job, your commute, or happen to fit in with your current daily routine.
03 Experiencing the outdoors can be from your own front door, or your office door, or the door of the car service centre. Any door will do!
04 Your chosen activity doesn’t have to involve specialist equipment. Although make sure you know when it should.
05 It’s not necessary to push your limits, crawl on your knees, or work so hard you can’t move the next day. Endurance challenges and multi-day expeditions are great, but they aren’t what #OneHourOutside is about.
The outdoors is personal. Get out there and experience it in your own way. It all counts.
Aim for An Hour
Some of you may already find making the outdoors a daily habit super easy, thanks to your line of work or the fact your dog insists on going for a walk each day. Great – get that hour or more each day.
Others will find it much harder. I know I do. Especially on Thursdays, for some reason, Thursdays are the hardest day of the week for me.
If a whole hour is too much, then do less – but I can’t stress the daily element of One Hour Outside enough. Research shows even 15-minutes outside can have a positive impact on our physical and mental wellbeing.
An hour is the magic number for me, as it combines the benefits of fresh air and natural light with getting an actual break from the daily grind – and we could all do with that.
One Hour Outside November Challenge
I hope you will join in with my One Hour Outside challenge for the rest of November. Let’s make November our month of the outside, and see what a difference it makes to our body, mind and soul. Turn what is often a dark and difficult month into one full of fresh air, clear heads and lots of energy.
Share what you get up to using #OneHourOutside on your favourite social media – tag me @splodz if you like – and spread the word that the outdoors is there for the taking.
What do you think? Comment below...