That's interesting. I didn't realise how far behind they were on this particular issue. Exercise and the brain/body health-state, as well as social play and a sense of purpose/meaning, have all been studied and well-presented. Perhaps they will tie it all together and call it 'where we belong' studies.

Sarcasm aside, it is sad that research such as this may be necessary to persuade bureaucrats and politicians (who then persuade the people) of the need for protection and production of 'wild' or 'green' spaces and that the argument may have to be structured as "nature is therapy". In other words, people may be so removed from the environment of their genes that they can only view the natural world as a means for self-improvement and positive exploitation. This logic may have to be accepted and utilized by those who genuinely know better.

So society gets increasingly sick as it moves 'indoors' for everything and 'nature' becomes therapy. Hopefully, once they feel better or fix themselves, humans will view the natural world as it always was: a part of them. Talk about alienation (or fall of wo-man, even).

1) Dur..... Of course exercising outside is going to have a better effect on your sense of well-being. Who enjoys watching soaps on the gym tv.....

2) There's no barbells in the woods, so it's effect is limited...

This ties in with "No child left inside" -- a coalition promoting environmental education.  There's even been a new term coined:

"Nature Deficit Disorder"

And then there's "Summit for Someone" -- a fundraiser for Big City Mountaineers which mentors young people and uses outdoor recreation as a tool for enhancing self-esteem and taking personal responsibility.

I thought the original article was a good start -- but there is so much more going on with using outdoor recreation for physical and mental health!

Let's get out there!

COClimber said:

This ties in with "No child left inside" -- a coalition promoting environmental education.  There's even been a new term coined:

"Nature Deficit Disorder"

And then there's "Summit for Someone" -- a fundraiser for Big City Mountaineers which mentors young people and uses outdoor recreation as a tool for enhancing self-esteem and taking personal responsibility.

I thought the original article was a good start -- but there is so much more going on with using outdoor recreation for physical and mental health!

Let's get out there!

 

 

Hi, COClimber. I wholeheartedly agree that getting kids outdoors is an important topic, and one we'll continue to bring to readers' attentions in blogs, articles and the forums (of course to some degree, we're preaching to the choir). It's been on our radar for years and will remain there.

I actually participated in a Summit for Someone climb last year, which is a great program, among numerous others out there that work to get kids outside.

If you're curious, we also support the Outdoor Foundation, among other outdoor and environmental groups: htttp://www.trailspace.com/about/giving-back/