Take air when it’s hot and humid, good idea?

Damn job! is a segment where Oliver Schmouker answers your toughest questions [et les plus pertinentes] In the modern business world… and, of course, its failures. Appointment to read Tuesday And yet Thursdays. Do you want to participate? Send us your question at [email protected]

Q. – “Isn’t it summer? Excessive heat? Humid and sticky air? I lost my taste after a short walk at lunchtime. And I have the impression of less health, less energy, less hard work than before. Is it all related? And if so, should I “force” myself to get fresh air more often?” – Elodie

A. – Dear Elodie, surprisingly, studies abound to show all the benefits of walking outdoors: muscle tone, joint flexibility, cognitive relief, etc. So we only recommend that everyone take a short walk on weekdays whenever possible.

Now you may notice a loss of motivation on your part due to the hot and sticky summers we have experienced repeatedly for a few years now. That’s why I wanted to tell you about a recent study that brought to light the completely crazy and unsuspected effects of walking outside. Air-conditioned office or home.

Along with five other researchers, Angus Burns, a researcher at Harvard Medical School, scoured the massive UK Biobank database. The latter contains biological samples and various information on voluntary and anonymous Britons to analyze, among other things, the impact of the environment on public health.

Specifically, Angus Burns and his team studied data from a sample of 502,000 people between the ages of 37 and 73 from all kinds of social and occupational backgrounds. Their aim was to see if people who were exposed to sunlight an hour longer than the average person (2.5 hours a day on average) had better health in general than others. In my opinion, they definitely did not expect such amazing results:

– Those who expose themselves to sunlight for at least 3.5 hours a day have a lower risk of suffering from a major depressive disorder in their lifetime: sadness, fatigue, loss of self-confidence, loss of appetite, etc.

– They use less antidepressants than others.

– They are less likely to suffer from anhedonia, which is the loss of the ability to experience pleasure: the feeling of not being there, feeling empty, etc.

– Their mood is less often gloomy than others: they are less often cheerful or pleasant.

– Their neuroticism is weak: they are less likely than others to experience negative emotions (desperation, depression, shame, jealousy, anger, fear, etc.).

– They are generally happier than others.

That’s not all. Digging deeper into the data, Angus Barnes and his folks also discovered this:

– Those who are exposed to sunlight for at least 3.5 hours a day find it easier to get out of bed in the morning.

– They get tired less often than others.

– They suffer from insomnia symptoms less often.

– and they have an earlier chronotype, which means they go to bed earlier than others.

In short, the more air we breathe, the better mood we are in, the more pleasant our sleep, and the better our physical and mental health. Not more not less.

You go, Elodie. I hope all of this will convince you to get out of the air conditioning to get a taste of the outside air. While the advantages of such a habit are very high, I feel the disadvantages associated with the fact that the natural air can sometimes make us feel hot and humid in the summer.