Human contact and a sense of community are important to mental health. Plan a route to a friend’s house to walk, and then on to The Floodgate to do some outdoor Baseball & Curling. You might be surprised how good it makes you feel. When you get outside of your house, it’s not only Mother Nature you see. You also connect more with the people and places in your community (& Digbeth).

Most of us have been stuck in for over 1 year. Vitamin D is Important for your bones, blood cells, and immune system. It also helps your body absorb more of certain minerals, like calcium and phosphorus. Your body needs sunlight to make it, but you don't need much. In the summer, just getting sun for 5 to 15 minutes while playing Curl Club or Bleachers in The Yard will help. In the winter, you might need a bit more (under our heat lamps).

Outdoor time will help you be more active and sleep better. Both these things help you burn calories. But getting outside in the morning, in particular, may help you keep the fat off. That’s partly because the light helps balance your sleep and energy use. But there may other reasons as well. After going into calorie deficit after a game of baseball will need to be replenished with a nice cold Brooklyn larger or Cocktail (please drink responsibility).

Spend time outside. Studies show that time in nature can boost your creative problem-solving abilities. This is because the outside world engages your attention in a quieter way that lets your attention refocus. The more time you spend, the bigger the benefit, but even just getting out for some air in The Yard can nudge your brain into a new thought pattern.

Sunlight seems to energize special cells in your immune system called T cells that help fight infection. Also, better vitamin D production because more sunlight is already good for your immune system. But the outdoors seems to help in other ways. Many plants put substances, including organic compounds called phytoncides, into the air that seem to boost immune function.

It makes sense if only for the bit of exercise you get when you do something outside. But studies show that it’s not just the activity, it’s the whole of the outdoor space.