In the light of the pandemic, children have been indoors or cooped up for about two years now. This has some drastic effects because everyone, especially children should spend time doing physical activity or spending time outdoors. According to this article, there are countless benefits of spending time outdoors. Sunlight and Vitamin D are needed vitamins only provided by the sun, and it has been studied that vitamin D does have protective agents against cancer and depression (don’t forget sunscreen if you are planning to stay outdoors for longer than 20 minutes).
Physical exercise is not only extremely beneficial for our bodies, but is very beneficial to mental health too. Spending time in nature or doing some physical exercise has been shown to decrease stress and depression levels, improve overall mood and creates an environment of focus and relaxation for yourself.
Studies have shown that inactive children eventually lead to inactive adults as well as, children who are not active enough run a higher risk for chronic diseases like diabetes or cardiovascular illnesses. For children physical exercise or spending time outdoors is extremely important in their early development years because it allows the child to enhance and promote the development of motor skills, bones and muscles, cognitive and social skills. Adults with higher levels of activity are able to carry out their daily tasks more easily and with less fatigue and, later in life, enjoy lower rates of bone loss associated with osteoporosis while also maintaining strength, flexibility, balance, and coordination.
Spending time outdoors is also a great opportunity for family bonding and playing with your children. With being stuck at home all the time, the feelings of being overwhelmed or even tired of your children is understandable. However, with these occasional outdoor moments you will instantly feel refreshed and entertained by your kids. Children have extremely high bursts of energy and personality, and they love to run around and cause havoc for their parents, so it is only natural that they should be able go outdoors and have a breathe of fresh air. Even a simple 10 minute walk to the park with your family, a couple times a week will create a large change in your life.
