20 minutes, 5 hours and 3 days: the recipe for improving the psyche, fitness and health referred to as 20-5-3 will help everyone
Man - "homo domesticus"
With autumn weather finally arriving, people are encouraged to spend their time sitting on the couch rather than moving around outside. Surely, who would want to wander around outside in the autumn drizzle? Besides - there was plenty of outdoor exercise in the summer. But the facts suggest otherwise. According to ongoing research, people spend more than 90% of their lives indoors. For example, an extensive EPA analysis even suggested that average Americans spend up to 97% of their lives indoors. While it might be argued that we are not Americans, it would be quite naive to expect that the data for Europe would show something radically different. Just as people in the US spend time at home, at work, in shopping malls and other buildings, the car and other means of transport cannot be ignored...and there is not much time left for outdoor exercise.
Outdoor activities are not only beneficial for physical fitness and generally promote physical health, but are also great for mental health and even the development of creativity. So even a simple walk can actually be a kind of "wellness". Even though going out into nature, the woods or even a park is really an activity that requires no major investment other than time, most people don't indulge in it. Why? Because of their own convenience. Many people just don't feel like getting out of the house (once they get there after work). Yet so little would be enough! And when we say "little", we mean a really specific amount of time spent in nature, but that can significantly shuffle the cards.
According to an analysis by Northeastern University expert Rachel Hopman, who focused on the neurological changes that occur after time spent in nature, the simple 20-5-3 rule can be applied in this case. You can think of it like a food pyramid, only instead of recommending how many servings of vegetables and meat you should eat, the recommendation is for the amount of time you should spend in nature to reduce perceived stress and be healthier. Plus, it's a really workable "outdoor exercise plan" at a time when it's not infrequently recommended to people by their doctors.
20 minutes
The first numerical value, 20, refers to the minutes you should spend outdoors each week. In fact, as research has suggested, to see the benefits of this practice (e.g., reduced cortisol levels in the bloodstream, improved cognition, memory, and mental health), going "green" three times a week for twenty minutes is sufficient. Twenty minutes outdoors every week is a piece of cake, right? In this case, it doesn't necessarily have to be a visit to a botanical garden or a forest. A park near your home, work or on the way home from work is a pretty reliable substitute for greenery. You don't have to literally drown yourself in the greenery; a walk through the fallen leaves, a look at the pond, listening to the singing birds can also give you a touch of nature.
But whatever form of nature you choose, ideally put down your mobile phone - research has shown that those who walked with a mobile phone in their hand did not get the desired effect - and try to perceive with all your senses.
5 hours
While just 3 times 20 minutes in nature should make you feel better in every way, if you take improving your lifestyle responsibly, it will require the occasional real trip into nature, one that could be described as 'semi-wild'. So during this trip you should enjoy the outdoors to the full. Even so, you don't have to be a proficient hiker, it's enough to simply head outside for a day once or twice a month. Online maps will help you plan your route - and know that there's plenty to discover in the surrounding cities (Prague not included). On the other hand, the "wilder" the nature, the better.
Three-day reboot
If we go back to the mentioned "pyramid", this would be its peak. Three days is already a challenge. In what way? You should spend three days in the countryside, but not anywhere where you connect to the internet and deal with emails after dinner. The ideal form of this three-day adventure should be really "wild". Ideally involving an imaginary "disconnection" from the outside world. You could try camping, renting a cabin. You don't necessarily have to spend this time alone, but you should reserve it to fully appreciate the nature around you.
A subtle fascination?
But whether you start and end with those 20 minutes, or actually go out for three days to absorb the beauty of nature, according to a study by Rachel Hopman, it is by focusing only on natural stimuli that you can reach a state of 'gentle fascination'. But this requires calming the mind - otherwise, using mental capacity all day can have a negative impact on our mental health. But if you actually manage to set aside regular time to concentrate on nothing but the visual, auditory and olfactory stimuli of nature, you will not only be doing your mind a service, but also your whole body. Isn't it worth it?
