Lake Placid – A new report on the website NewScientist.com may have inadvertently been talking about life in the Adirondacks: get outside and get healthy.
The Mirror Lake Inn proudly endorses its authentic Adirondack experience, and it appears to go hand in hand with a “get outside and get healthy” mantra. The online publication, and writer Adam Vaughan, reported last month that “spending just two hours in green spaces such as parks, woodlands and fields has been linked with people feeling healthier and happier.”
We second the motion. The greatest aspect of this get outside and get healthy concept is that once you are here, our Great Outside is literally on the other side of your door. There are six million acres of Adirondack Park waiting to make you feel whole. This doesn’t mean you have to hike all 46 Adirondack peaks, or race in the Ironman Lake Placid. Just spending a little time in our outside environment, even if you are inert, will do wonders for you. But that’s never been quantified until now.
New Scientist – This link opens in a new browser tab said that in a survey of 20,000 people in England, the two-hour “magic number appeared.” It went on to say, “those who spent more than two hours had consistently higher health and well-being levels”, with diminishing returns at five hours.
Think about it: two hours in a week. Get outside and get healthy by walking the dog, strolling with friends, walking to the Main Street shops and walking for needed supplies can easily surpass two hours in a week. The website’s analysis found that the average person spent 94 minutes a week exposed to a natural environment.
Rachel Stancliffe, of the Center for Sustainable Healthcare in Oxford, England, stated that, “putting numbers on the critical dose of nature is a really important step forward.” Also, the health gains apply to all people, regardless of age, gender and their state of health.
The nice thing about it, as referenced earlier, is that just being out in nature has benefits – you don’t have to be an exercise demon to feel better. The bottom line: just get outside and get healthy.