Doctors Prescribe Outdoor Activities Encouraging the Great Outdoors Month!

The President, in a battle to fight childhood obesity and the declining use of national parks and rivers named that June will be the Great Outdoors Month. As a result of the recent outdoors movement doctors across the United States are prescribing outdoor activities to help Americans reconnect with the outdoors and to reduce child obesity rates. This surge in outdoor activities like camping, hiking, backpacking, and canoeing not only causes an increase in the number of Americans using parks but it also is helping to make people healthier. Many of the doctors that are encouraging the use of outdoor medication are doing so because they have realized that it has benefits even beyond getting people to exercise.The doctor's prescriptions are not just recommendations to go outdoors. Some doctors are including maps and lists of activities that patients can do when they go to parks. By providing lists of activities doctors are hoping to help people that don't regularly use parks and thus might not know what to do once they get there. One thing that I also enjoy is that some health providers are on board with the doctor's prescription and they are reimbursing patients for park entrance fees. When these health providers pay for park fees it makes parks more accessible to a wider range of people. Not only does the increase in activity help keep health care cost down for the provider and patients but it also truly has a benefit to a large amount of people.I personally love this program and wish that I could get a doctors note to go fishing or hiking! The outdoors is our most precious resource and it saddens me that only a handful of people actually use it. By encouraging more and more people to use the outdoors we can provide better resources because revenues will increase and we can take better care of our aging park system. The program is helping to encourage kids to get out and play. Although video games and the internet are great sources of entertainment many people have taken their use too far. Some kids don't even know about the outdoors and they aren't aware of all the activities that they can do outside because they haven't been exposed to them before. I blame parents for not showing their kids the outdoors. As a parent you are responsible for your child's well being and if you just plop them in front of a computer or video game their lack knowledge about the outdoors causes great damage to the kids and future kids to come.I think that everybody should spend at least one day a week in the outdoors for at least a few hours. Go fishing, take a hike, play baseball in the park, or just fly a kite.

Long Island's Outdoor Activities - Many Possibilities

One of the greatest things about living on Long Island today is the many things you can do outside. Some of these you can even do all year around, which is great for kids and adults. All types of people enjoy biking in many areas of the island. Many roads are conducive to the activity providing bike-only lanes, especially roads in the various parks. There are also many bicycle clubs that you can join, including the LI Bicycle club, which can match you up with other like-minded riders.Hiking clubs are another great option for meeting people and doing an outdoor activity. Some of the more popular trails to go hiking include the Nassau-Suffolk Greenbelt Mountain Bike Trail and the Walt Whitman trail in Suffolk County. Visiting preserves and sanctuaries for wildlife, whether it be animals or even plants, also makes for a great day outside.The number of state and county parks on Long Island adds to the endless opportunities you have for spending a day outdoors. Jones Beach state park is one of the most well known in the north eastern United States. During the warmer months, the most popular parks are those on the water. On a typical weekend day, one would see thousands of people hanging out at the beaches.Other options include camping grounds, botanical gardens and sports playing fields. There's so much to do, you just need to plan well, whether it's just enjoying the scenery or doing something more active. Long Island is a beautiful and fun-filled place to visit.