Harper’s Index this month asserts that 92% of Americans spend 90% of our lives indoors or inside vehicles. Wow! I’m sure glad I’m not one of those losers!

Or am I?

In order to creep below the 90% mark, one would have to spend an average of 2.4 hours per day, or 16.8 hours per week, outside. Yesterday I went hiking in Point Lobos for about three hours, so I beat it, but just barely, and that’s not a normal day for me. Since I injured my ankle, I have been doing more indoor exercising. I think in my first reaction to the statistic, I was picturing 90% of the time sedentary, which is not the same.

A lot of Americans drive to work, work indoors, drive home, eat indoors, then watch TV or do other indoor pursuits. The ones who are exercise-conscious may get an hour outside walking, running, or biking, but may also go to a gym. The ones with dog-walking duties may pick up another hour or even two during the course of a day.  For many of us who do not work outdoors, it’s pretty easy to spend 90% of time inside during the workweek.

Here on Central Coast we can eat, read, and even compute outside, but we don’t always do it.

That leaves the weekend. If you went on a whale watch or participated in a walkathon on the weekend, you were outside for at least a couple of hours. If you went to a concert or did some folk dancing, not so much.

Why does it even matter? Data on this are pretty scarce. One risk is indoor pollutants, which are surprisingly ubiquitous; opening windows helps a little. Our circadian rhythms are set by exposure to sun cycles. Our skin manufactures vitamin D when exposed to sunlight. Some studies suggest that excess time indoors can lead to paranoia or depression. Others indicate people may be invigorated after exposure to nature.

I was feeling that exhilaration yesterday at Punta de Los Lobos Marinos–yes, the animal we call sea lions is named sea wolves in Spanish. We were taking pictures while commenting, The pictures won’t do it justice, and I thought, The pictures won’t do it justice because it’s the wind and the sounds and the smells and the wildlife and the sensation of being in a vast space that makes the view meaningful.

Here are a few shots from my cell phone. Maybe they will inspire you to go outside for the full experience.