Indoor Culture is Problematic

I was back home visiting family and friends for Christmas last year, and, while in Alabama, I was reminded of how different my lifestyle is from that of the majority of the people who live where I previously lived. 

The weather was beautiful all 4 days I was there. I'm talking 40-60 degrees fahrenheit and sunny so it felt like 60-70 degrees during the bulk of the day. Tough weather to beat for that time of year.

My soul was desperately seeking to get outside, to go for walks around the neighborhood, and sit in the backyard on the patios at the households my wife and I visited. But all the action remained indoors.

I'd walk out and even sit in the sun for a little bit while visiting. But, unfortunately, I had limited time to visit with all these people I'm close with so I had to prioritize socializing and family/friends time over my personal desires.

The simple difference is: I like spending time each day outside – especially when the sun is out and it's above freezing temperatures and not precipitating – while many people I know do not care to even sit outside in the sun, nonetheless do activities outside.

Some of this probably comes down to differences in upbringing. Some of it comes down to cultural differences between places you live or visit. Some of it could just be a result of people not being exposed to how good you feel when you spend some time in nature, the outdoors, or even just on your patio/deck each day.

Where I currently live (Boise, Idaho), the culture is very "outside focused."

Everyone is outside all the time and the city is designed in a way that encourages people to be outside.

Part of this is a result of having advantageous weather and cool terrain right in town. Boise is built in a valley in the foothills of the rocky mountains. The climate is high desert and we enjoy 4 moderate seasons.

The foothills have awesome trails that are easily accessible from almost anywhere in town. If you drive a few minutes out of town, you have some super remote, beautiful, and more rugged terrain to hike, scramble, or raft.

We have parks all over the place — seriously, parks are everywhere out here. We have a beautiful river with a green belt system that runs all the way through the city and even beyond into some of the neighboring towns.

As a result, my wife and I have noticed that people in Boise look much healthier than anywhere else we've lived and are also much happier. It's alarming. I can't help but blame it on people being high on endorphins so frequently.

Many cities around the United States are set up in suburban sprawl fashion, with very little shoulder on the sides of the roads, few sidewalks other than within individual housing developments, minimal biking lanes, and I feel many cities fail to plan the infrastructure to include enough green belts and walking pathways to encourage alternate transportation means a side from sitting in traffic. 

Some people say that it's useless to build such things because people in some of these cities will drive everywhere anyway. But, I firmly believe that people adapt and are products of their environment. If you build walking paths, bike trails, and parks, people will use them and, in turn, will spend more time outside, less time in traffic (hopefully decreasing dense traffic), and will develop a more positive outlook on life.

I'm not some hippie dippie yippie, but being outdoors daily has a powerful effect on your mental, physical, and emotional health. So do yourselves a favor and get outside more often. You'll feel better, look better, and, more than likely, you'll be better.

______________________________

Since 2020 I've been sending out emails and writing articles almost daily. I do this on my own dime, during my own time, and – as I always say – it's a labor of love. But, if you find yourself loving my emails, articles, or products, and you want to leave me a couple bucks, this is the place where you can do that. Thank you so much!

https://garagegymbro.gumroad.com/coffee