Nothing makes you appreciate travel more than being confined to your house for months on end. The coronavirus lockdown has caused many of us to reassess our priorities in life, and to realise that somethings are especially important. At the very top of your personal list might be your family, and how vital it is to spend quality time with them.
Of course, if you’re spending all that time in the same environment, then you might find that things get a little bit stale. But with lockdown set to be lifted, in increments, over the coming months, it’s worth spending some time thinking about longer adventures outdoors.
So what are the benefits of a day trip, that we’re missing out on while we’re in lockdown?
Sunshine
Vitamin D is produced naturally by the body in response to sunlight. It’s this vitamin that helps to control the levels of calcium and phosphate in the cells of your muscles, teeth and bones. The more sunlight you get, the more vitamin D you produce. But that isn’t the only health benefit: sunlight also produces endorphins, which gives you a natural high.
Exercise
One of the most harmful side-effects of lockdown comes when we fail to get enough exercise into the day. Now the restrictions on outdoor exercise are beginning to ease, it’s time to start planning what to do and what is possible with the family. Anyone for a mini game of football kids? A long stroll through the lake district, or along the beach, can stimulate the body and mind in ways that a quick burst of exercise around the block can’t hope to emulate. A train to Bognor Regis might provide exactly what’s required to get the right kind of exercise.
Green Stuff
Our minds are naturally adapted to find plants and flowers pleasant to look at. It’s partly for this reason that those of us with gardens are coping better with the lockdown than those of us who lack them. If you’re looking to enjoy this sort of stimulation, then taking a trip to a park might be just the thing to help you do so. You’ll be able to test your children’s knowledge of flora, which you’ve been instilling into them during all those hours of home-schooling.
So now is the perfect time to get outside, at a social distance, and enjoy the weather and greenery we have all around us.
‘Contributed Post’
