Dr. Nathaniel Mann, an emergency physician with wilderness medicine experience, believes time outdoors deserves a spot on the prescription pad. His reasoning is straightforward: humans didn’t evolve for traffic, lights, and noise. Sunlight helps our bodies develop vitamin D, and research links it to improved cancer rates and decreased infections. Heavy screen time, meanwhile, is directly tied to anxiety and other psychological conditions.
The best part is how little it takes. Mann says the benefits don’t require a seven-mile hike. Ten to 15 minutes of gardening, mowing the lawn, or sitting on your back porch can deliver real gains. Dr. Rhea Rogers echoes the point, noting that less sunlight means lower vitamin D levels, which can contribute to affective disorders — a consideration as we head into the darker months of the year.
Here on the Suncoast, we have an advantage most of the country doesn’t: the Gulf, the beaches, and mild evenings nearly year-round. A short daily outdoor break is one of the cheapest health habits available, and it fits almost any schedule. Is a little time outside already part of your day — and if so, where’s your favorite spot to take it?
