The (bad) habit that affects our well-being and longevity: spending too much time indoors

Bad habit that affects our well-being: Spending excessive time indoors

we know that We spend too much time indoorsBut quantifying this bad habit can make us more aware of it. it needs to change: “We spend 90% of the day indoors and 15 years ago we spent only 10%.”he clearly says Nicola Elliot, Wellness expert and creator of the NEOM brand. The closely related exponential growth of sedentary lifestyle and excessive dependence on screens and new technologies is reducing our quality of life. In fact, Francisco Gomez MorenoSpecialist in physiotherapy, osteopathy and nutrition Palasite Clinic, proposes us to consider: “If we start to think about how much time we currently spend connected to nature on a daily basis, we will see that it is very little or not at all. People usually live in apartments, travel by means of transportation, and go to work in closed spaces, and possibly in other closed spaces. and he has to return home in the same transport and after Their physical activity takes place in a gym that is closed even though†. Without a doubt, a real description that goes away from Two hours that we should spend outside in a day in an ideal world. But we do not have to dramatize these figures, but rather consider this excess, its consequences and various ways to avoid it.

Natural light is important for better sleep at night

,The day creates the night and at the moment of sleep you have to reach rest, Quality rest during the day should include physical activity, natural light, social interaction, gratitude, kindness, ban on excess screens and adequate routine in the hours before,’ says the doctor. javier albarez, sleep expert. And precisely for this reason, insomnia disorder This is related to our lifestyle and lack of natural light. “We spend more and more time indoors and live without natural light and all this, with additional screens, more information and multitasking, favors it.” Lack of coordination with our biological clocks“, he explains. And all this affects the state of mind and the functioning of our internal organs.

Staying indoors affects the aging process

one of the common denominators of people live longer In the so-called blue regions of the planet where life expectancy is higher, people are spending more time outdoors. and light regulates circadian rhythm, is directly related to the aging processes. “The circadian cycle is the variation in certain physiological functions of the organism at regular time intervals – usually a day. The wake/sleep state along with temperature, hunger, digestion, heart rate, blood pressure and most hormonal, inflammatory and regenerative systems present these types of oscillations, The correct functioning of which is important for quality of life and maintaining harmony in the aging process.doctor tells Vicente Mera in his book Young at any age, Emphasizing that sunlight is one of the most obvious regulators of these cycles. And just one more fact: As the doctor explains olivier courtin-clarins in his book If possible, guess my age.Lack of sleep, which also causes lack of natural light, affects Oxidative Stress and Metabolism,

and the way we eat

Spending so much time indoors causes a series of events because, for example, insomnia also affects Hormones related to feelings of hunger and satiety, so that table habits deteriorate from lack of sunlight. “There is a close relationship between sleep disorders and eating.” For example, due to problems in the release of a satiety hormone called leptin, which is released in the deep sleep phase,” explains Mera.

Lack of natural light affects mood

To understand how we feel after spending a day outside, it is enough to reflect on how much being indoors too much affects our mind and mood. “There is natural light.” Fundamental to regulating our various biological rhythms and states Since it also affects mood serotonin levelsAlberes explains. on which the psychologist Pilar Conde Adds: “Being outside helps with emotional regulation, reduces stress and anxiety levels, as well as improves our mood and sleeping and eating habits.†.

How to reduce the time we spend indoors?

It’s not easy, but there are some options to achieve it:

1. walk more: Bearing in mind that a sedentary lifestyle has established itself in our lives – our ancestors walked 10 to 16 kilometers per day and we only 2.4, on average – trying to walk more daily in all aspects. In is necessary, as well as spending more time outside. Indeed, Elliott advises Expose yourself to natural light for at least 30 minutes before 10 a.m.like this walking to work This could be a good option.
2. Practice grounding Or, which is the same, being barefoot in contact with the earth. Palasite experts also recommend trying this practice by watching the sunrise on the beach or watching the sunset by looking directly at the sun. “It’s something that connects us to our day and, in addition to telling the brain that the day is ending, it keeps biorhythms regular over time.”
3. Participate in environmental initiatives: Perhaps something as simple as participating in plastic collection programs in the forest can help us stay in touch with nature and increase exposure to natural light. Furthermore, studies confirm the connection between the feeling of happiness and countries’ environmental initiatives.