Hey there,
I worked at the hospital quite a bit last week and discharged many new families to home. One of the things we tell people who are heading home with a new baby is to do gentle exercise 30 minutes a day – their two options postpartum are to walk and/or dance around with their baby. We also suggest they get at least 10 minutes of sunshine and fresh hair outside. The vitamin D and being outside is really important for mood stabilization.
These suggestions are the bare minimum and I really try and reinforce them because I think it is so important for parents and baby to do all they can to stay well -during such a challenging time. But, what was funny this week was that I was telling everyone to do this bare minimum and I realized I wasn’t doing it!
I TRULY believe that one of the most basic tools for sanity is to get outside every day – and sometimes I don’t even do it. If I work an extra long shift or it is pouring rain and the fireplace is cozy -then going outside is much less appealing.
Daylight savings makes our days feel even shorter so it can feel even harder to get outside. And in general Americans spend on average only 5% of their time outside! 5%!
I think we all know we feel better when we get some fresh air, but it can be a challenge, especially as it gets colder.
But we should try.
A recent study showed that:
“spending time in, or living close to, natural green spaces is associated with diverse and significant health benefits. It reduces the risk of type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease, premature death, and preterm birth, and increases sleep duration.
“People living closer to nature also had reduced diastolic blood pressure, heart rate and stress. In fact, one of the really interesting things we found is that exposure to greenspace significantly reduces people’s levels of salivary cortisol — a physiological marker of stress.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article
So, this is a reminder email for you (and for me) to get outside and get your vitamin D. And, because we are animals – our natural habitat is outside – and so it is calming for us in so many ways. I could go on and on, but I am going to stop writing so I can take a walk with the dog and look at the stars even though it’s freezing out.
