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Aliya Zimmerman

English 1201-511

Professor Slanker

26 May 2019

Outdoors

I have always loved being outside and have always been very adventurous. The summer

after my junior year of high school, I went on a canoe trip to the Boundary Waters of Minnesota

and absolutely fell in love. We canoed, camped, and explored the wilderness. Ever since then, I

have been hooked on outdoor adventures. I went again the next summer and am about to go

again. At University, I joined the Outdoor Adventure Club and have been able to backpack and

camp at many different locations. I have even been able to rock climb. Any outdoor activity that

comes my way is always welcomed and I know that it has a huge benefit on my health as well.

I have a strong passion for this topic because I know that if I encourage others to get

outside, they will also be healthier. I want to be able to share my love of the outdoors with

others, so they are able to experience the benefits too. It hurts me to see kids inside all day when

they could be experiencing so many profits from just going outside. Before doing research, I

think that this topic covers a lot of areas. There are many activities outside that can benefit health

partially just because of the exercise. I also think that this topic is really interesting but also

important in the society that we live in today. Nowadays there is more obesity than in the past,

meaning people’s health is declining. By experiencing outdoor activities, they could improve

their life and live longer. I believe this topic is important especially for children. Allowing kids

to experience the wonderful world around them opens up so many unexpected doors for new
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learning. I also believe that adults benefit just as much because there are so many amazing

experiences that come from outdoor activities that cannot be matched by sitting inside watching

TV or playing video games. I have learned that if people experience the outdoors and the

activities, they also care more about the environment and keeping it clean. This is not only

beneficial to the world, but also to everyone who lives within. I know that there are many

benefits from the sun and fresh air that can be gained from just sitting outside. I know how many

different options there are for all different skill levels or comfort levels.

I am hoping to learn more about the benefits of outdoor activities on a person’s health. I

also want to know how to make these activities more accessible to people, especially children.

To start, I will search for answers to different questions I have about the topic and then gather

information. I may ask some people I know who are also involved in the outdoors if they have

any information that could help me with discovering more about the topic. I want to know what

the benefits of outdoor activities are on a person’s health. I would also be interested in studying

the effect of children involved in the outdoors versus children who are not exposed. I wonder if

there is a difference in their brain function in class or their mental outlook on life.