Before Reading

* Ask students how much time they typically spend outdoors in a given week.

Discuss

* What are the health benefits of spending time outdoors? (reduction in weight; development of muscles and bones; drop in risk for various diseases; increased absorption

* What do you most like to do outdoors, and why? (Answers will vary.)

THROUGHOUT HIGH SCHOOL, Liz Baltich was overweight. Carrying extra pounds took a toll on her body, her mind, and her spirit. Now 19 and attending college in Grand Junction, Colo., Baltich is trying to turn all that around with "green time."

She's staying fit and improving her mood by spending more time outdoors. "I know I'm more likely to stick with outdoor activity," says Baltich. "When I walk outdoors, I go farther, and I walk more often. I also feel more cheerful out where the air is fresh, looking at birds and green grass."

Baltich's goals are to lose weight and to be healthier and more active. "I want to gain muscle and feel better about myself overall," she explains. Whether tossing a football, kicking around a soccer ball, or just "acting goofy and running around," Baltich and her friends move around more when they're outdoors, she says.

They're not alone. Spending time outdoors benefits everyone, in just about every way.

Take It Outside

The percentage of overweight adolescents has tripled in the past 30 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control. That is bad news for long-term health, especially considering the fact that, as people age, participation in physical activities declines. Heading outside for a workout can be a solution. In one study of children ages 3 to 18, researchers at the Indiana University School of Medicine found that kids and teens in highly populated areas were less likely to be overweight if they had access to green space.

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Moving your physical activity outdoors can benefit you big time. Besides helping you maintain a healthy weight, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports, consistent exercise builds up muscles, keeps bones strong, and lowers the risk for developing diabetes, colon cancer, high blood pressure, and heart disease. When you exercise outside, clear air, natural light, and variety (think a hiking path instead of a treadmill) sweeten the deal.

And no matter how high-tech your gym or exercise video is, it can't help you produce vitamin D. The sun can! Sunlight on your face and hands for even 15 minutes a day helps your skin produce the bone-strengthening vitamin, which may also help prevent certain cancers and immune-system disorders.

Nurturing the Spirit

A study conducted in a Chicago public-housing development by University of Illinois researchers showed that fewer crimes took place at apartment buildings surrounded by vegetation compared with identical buildings that lacked green spaces. How could nature affect crime rates? Researchers say one possibility might be the sense of well-being that comes with greenery.

No matter who you are or where you live, you can get a mental lift from spending more time outdoors. "Getting out in nature can give teens a break from our electronically laden society. It can show [you] how little materialism you need to make you happy or to have a good day," says Oregon author, physician, and mountain rescue volunteer Dr. Christopher Van Tilburg. "Getting outside is a good break from everyday life."

Carl Boland, 14, enjoys many outdoor activities; hiking and fishing are two favorites. He's done both since he was old enough to walk. "Fishing gives you time to think," Carl says. "You're watching your bobber or jigging your lure, thinking about your day or what you'll do later--anything on your mind. Then a fish bites, and both you and the fish are snapped out of your reverie."

In Carl's home state of Minnesota, he's caught and released fish from boats, from shore--even through a hole in the ice in mid-January. "Outdoors you just take more stuff in," he says. "I like it when there's no window between me and the world."

Screen Time Versus Green Time

Not only windows separate teens from nature: The Internet, DVDs, and video games are all powerful indoor attractions. As technology becomes a greater part of everyday life, physical activity dwindles. On average, young people between the ages of 11 and 18 spend up to four hours a day just watching TV and DVDs, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. (That figure doesn't include time spent playing video games or using the computer for fun.)

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Although technology is great, it often comes at the cost of green time. In the last 20 years, screen time has increased an average of 33 percent for people in the United States. In the meantime, the number of visitors to U.S. national parks has steadily declined. The growing tendency of teens to choose TV over trees concerns Steve McCormick, president and CEO of the Nature Conservancy. He points out that a simulated mountain or waterfall can never compare with the experience of seeing the real thing. Losing our connection to the physical world means losing touch with a vital part of what it means to be human.

Expanding the Mind

Another part of being human is coping with change and the unexpected. Outdoors, things don't always go as planned. "I think the weather is the easiest example," Van Tilburg says. "You can prepare--bring a jacket, sunscreen, a raincoat--but weather can always change dramatically without warning. It teaches you to plan for adversity, improvise, think on your feet, and be creative."

At a time when Baltich is making many big changes, she sees great value in learning to be adaptable and self-reliant. "Heading outdoors can almost immediately change your perspective," she says. "A change of surroundings always helps you grow as a person." So unplug, get outdoors, get fit, and be prepared for anything--especially fun.

Resources

* Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder, by Richard Louv (Algonquin Books, 2006)

* Outward Bound Wilderness outwardboundwilderness.org

A Key to Easing ADHD?

Approximately 2 million children in the United States have attention deficit/ hyperactive disorder (ADHD), according to the National Institutes of Health. A person with this neurological condition has trouble paying attention and staying focused on tasks. A 2004 nationwide study by University of Illinois researchers found that kids and teens with ADHD who performed tasks in green outdoor settings showed far fewer symptoms.

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Matt B., 15, who was diagnosed with ADHD five years ago, thinks spending time outdoors helps expend some of his excess mental energy. An avid runner, Matt prefers "green time" to time in the gym. "I focus better and feel more on track with schoolwork after being outside," he told Current Health.

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Inexpensive Ways to Enjoy Green Time

You can find fun ways to enjoy "green time," even if your surroundings are not always green, Enjoy the outdoors year-round, whether you play in snow, sand, surf, or scenic pasture.

* Climb a tree

* Swim

* Photograph nature

* Ice-skate

* Ride a bike

* Snowshoe

* skateboard

* Participate in a community-wide cleanup

* Play with a Frisbee or fly a kite

* Walk a dog

Don't have your own? Volunteer to walk an elderly neighbor's pet. And animal rescue organizations always need volunteer dog walkers!