# How is this even possible?



## Just a Guy (Mar 27, 2012)

30% of Canadians basically never go outside...

http://www.torontosun.com/2017/06/16/about-30-of-canadians-spend-less-than-5-minutes-outside-a-day

Aside from people in hospitals, the really infirm, maybe the really young...


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## Eclectic12 (Oct 20, 2010)

I don't think it is possible ... beyond the exceptions you are listing (and probably a few more).



> ... found that *29% of us, almost three in 10, say* we spend less than a half hour per week outside.


I suspect the self-reporting is the answer. It's all too easy to give an off the cuff answer that focuses on one type of "outdoors" while ignores other types.


Cheers


*PS*
Another possibility is that the "outdoors" the the article talks about was in the survey as question about being in a park/exploring nature.


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## tygrus (Mar 13, 2012)

You forget its Canada. The weather always sucks here.


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## bass player (Jan 27, 2016)

I have a relative who never goes outside other than a weekly trip to the grocery store and to run errands. Other than that, she spends her entire life inside the house.

On the other hand, in summer I'm often outside for several hours a day depending on what I'm doing. A round of golf followed by a little yard work and then a couple pops on the deck can easily be 10 - 12 hours outside. But, I don't go out much in winter other than what is necessary.


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## SMK (Dec 10, 2015)

Not all blame can be placed on weather. People are glued-addicted to electronics, even while outside, LOL.


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## Eclectic12 (Oct 20, 2010)

tygrus said:


> You forget its Canada. The weather always sucks here.


Whether the weather sucks or not ... unless one is in say downtown Toronto/Montreal or possibly Vancouver where groceries etc. can be accessed through underground paths removing the need to go outside (or all shopping is done online with home delivery), less than half an hour a week is an incredibly small amount of time to get everything done.




bass player said:


> I have a relative who never goes outside other than a weekly trip to the grocery store and to run errands. Other than that, she spends her entire life inside the house ...


Question is ... can the relative do all of the groceries/errands without going outside or under half an hour a week?
What makes it hard to understand if the total time being under half an hour for seven days.

There's kids in my neighborhood who love video games (i.e. are indoors), don't have errands to run etc. but just walking to school burns through the half an hour (never mind outdoor recess, a friend coming over to go biking etc).


It would be interesting to track some of those who self reported these numbers. My mom confidently self reported that she rarely watched television where it was more like two hours a night.


Cheers


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## bass player (Jan 27, 2016)

Eclectic12 said:


> Question is ... can the relative do all of the groceries/errands without going outside or under half an hour a week?
> What makes it hard to understand if the total time being under half an hour for seven days.


Well, if you don't count the time in her car and in the grocery store as "outside", then it's quite possible that she spends less than a half hour a week outside.


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## Ag Driver (Dec 13, 2012)

Deleted


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## kcowan (Jul 1, 2010)

I remember driving my BMW convertible from my parking garage at home to the one at work, keeping the top down for months. But I was never outside except at weekends. That was before smart phones.


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## steve41 (Apr 18, 2009)

When I go out for a drive in my Rolls (Jeeves driving), I hang my head out the window, weather permitting.

Does that count?


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## My Own Advisor (Sep 24, 2012)

No way this is true....


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## Eclectic12 (Oct 20, 2010)

The more I think about it ... the more I suspect there's some detail to the question that is not in the article that would shift more people to the answer.

I haven't found the details of the survey so I haven't been able to confirm the theory.


Cheers


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## My Own Advisor (Sep 24, 2012)

Exactly, you can almost do anything to spin data...let alone headlines.


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## sags (May 15, 2010)

I drive around our city all the time and there is one thing I have noticed.

In the poorer areas, people are out and about a lot more. They sit on the porch in groups, walk down the sidewalks, kids are out playing.

When I drive through upscale neighborhoods..............I rarely see a soul except for someone walking a dog or something.

It seems the more stuff we have the less social we are. The bigger the homes the less contact we have with neighbors.

The most outside activity and general "life" I see is in old neighborhoods with small homes crammed in that all have front porches.

There was more of a community feel to the way they built neighborhoods years ago.


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## peterk (May 16, 2010)

bass player said:


> Well, if you don't count the time in her car and in the grocery store as "outside", then it's quite possible that she spends less than a half hour a week outside.





kcowan said:


> I remember driving my BMW convertible from my parking garage at home to the one at work, keeping the top down for months. But I was never outside except at weekends. That was before smart phones.


I don't know why everyone is shocked. No I would not count car time or grocery store time as "outside", maybe the 90 seconds to get to/from the car when you go shopping or drive to/from work?

Your convertible Keith I would probably count as outside. 

I'm not sure that so little outside time is "bad" though, or that 30 minutes is somehow detrimental compared to 6 hours, for instance. Other than a general lack of exposure to nature, but outside time in a big city is only loosely related to nature anyways.

I saw two bears from the car last week while driving by, with the window cracked. Is that more or less "outside" than sitting on a restaurant patio? :confused2:


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## tygrus (Mar 13, 2012)

sags said:


> When I drive through upscale neighborhoods..............I rarely see a soul except for someone walking a dog or something.


Those people are all out working, paying our taxes. I dare say the others arent.


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## Eclectic12 (Oct 20, 2010)

peterk said:


> I don't know why everyone is shocked. No I would not count car time or grocery store time as "outside", maybe the 90 seconds to get to/from the car when you go shopping or drive to/from work?


Interesting ... when I have checked the time before leaving the house then checked the time as I am on the road, it can easily be five to ten minutes just getting everything into the car to go to work. The time in the house is short as everything is by the door before starting the process.




peterk said:


> ... I'm not sure that so little outside time is "bad" though, or that 30 minutes is somehow detrimental compared to 6 hours, for instance.Other than a general lack of exposure to nature, but outside time in a big city is only loosely related to nature anyways.


I suspect more time outdoors to be gradually in the sunshine would have helped versus the famine then feast of the recent weekend.




peterk said:


> ... I saw two bears from the car last week while driving by, with the window cracked. Is that more or less "outside" than sitting on a restaurant patio? :confused2:


 ... not sure why people seem to want to suggest "in the car" or "in the store" as being outdoors.


Cheers


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## Eclectic12 (Oct 20, 2010)

tygrus said:


> sags said:
> 
> 
> > I drive around our city all the time and there is one thing I have noticed.
> ...


In my neighbourhood it is the semi-retired and retired who are outdoors in the good weather the most. Lots are outdoors, interrupting their lawn mowing/gardening/walking on the weekends to chat.

From the discussion I have heard - those out the most are paying taxes.


Cheers


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## bass player (Jan 27, 2016)

Eclectic12 said:


> Interesting ... when I have checked the time before leaving the house then checked the time as I am on the road, it can easily be five to ten minutes just getting everything into the car to go to work. The time in the house is short as everything is by the door before starting the process.


In winter when I was working (retired now) and it was miserable out...30 seconds to the car, drive to work, 30 seconds to the office. Repeat at the end of the day. Outside for 2 minutes a day for days on end.


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## kcowan (Jul 1, 2010)

When we took the bus to work, it was very social because all our neighbours were on the same bus/train.

Now they are all on their devices...

I think we can count outdoors time separate from social time. Sometimes they are the same but not often.


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## Rusty O'Toole (Feb 1, 2012)

I'm sure there are days I spend less than 5 minutes outside especially in winter. Sometimes this bothers me but not enough to get up and go outside.


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## new dog (Jun 21, 2016)

I probably spend about 2-3 hours outside in the winter and 4-5 hours outside in the summer.


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## Spudd (Oct 11, 2011)

peterk said:


> Your convertible Keith I would probably count as outside.
> 
> I'm not sure that so little outside time is "bad" though, or that 30 minutes is somehow detrimental compared to 6 hours, for instance. Other than a general lack of exposure to nature, but outside time in a big city is only loosely related to nature anyways.


Part of why it's bad is because you miss out on getting Vitamin D, although you can take supplements if you don't get enough naturally. As for nature vs urban, they say that time in nature is good for your mental health. Walking in a city does provide health benefits (cardio and Vitamin D) but walking in nature also provides mental health benefits. I sadly don't get out into actual nature often enough, but I do go outside a lot.


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