We (meaning me and the babies) got on the 1000 hours outside movement, which is hilarious considering I spent most of my life trying to spend zero hours outside.
What can I say? I didn’t have Instagram to influence my decisions in early adulthood, so I stayed inside on account of the heat and the 137% humidity in Florida.
It wasn’t actually Instagram that influenced me to take my kids outside more, though taking great photos is unequivocally part of the ongoing motivation. It was their ophthalmologist.
The twins have high myopia. In basic English, this means they can only see clearly if something is 8 inches in front of their faces or closer.
I really wanted to do something about this—a pill, a shot, an experimental treatment in Colombia, but Doc said, “nothing out there has been tested on prematurity-related myopia, and I’m not going to be the first to test it, but…”
The “but” was that studies have shown that time outdoors can slow the progression of myopia. While they did not do these studies on premature babies, the treatment is not only harmless but beneficial in other ways.
Eating dirt and running around naked in the grass diversifies your microbiome (specifically the gut microbiome), and a diverse gut microbiome makes for better digestion and reduces your likelihood of ending up in the hospital at 2:32 am with an RSV-infected toddler.*
YaleEnvironment 260 reported that spending time in nature reduces stress and improves physical health and cognitive function. They also reported that there’s been a 500% increase in “forest schools” since 2012. Who knew? Yale knew.
Three months after I implemented our More-Time-Outside-To-Stop-The-Progression-Of-Myopia Campaign, we went back to the eye doctor, and for the first time in almost a year, the change in the girls’ prescriptions was negligible.
Maybe it was the great outdoors (read: the water table on the back porch), or maybe they finally grew out of their myopia (which happens), but I’m going to take some credit for leading the charge to spend more time outside.
Last week, I spent $2.99 on the 1000 Hours Outside app. I would tell you it was the best $3 I have ever spent, but it’s basically a stopwatch and an online shop. However, I am v. into their Instagram content, and the whole movement inspires me, so I’m ok with having spent the $3 on a paid app that still has ads. Sort of. It’s fine. I use it. But maybe just follow 1000 Hours Outside on Instagram and spend the $3 on materials for a sticker chart for your kids, or if your kids are too young for that, make yourself a sticker chart.
*This is not specifically listed as a benefit of a diverse gut microbiome. I was just looking for a more entertaining way to tell you that a healthy microbiome benefits your immune system.