Reason No. 29 to Hike with Kids: Fewer Allergies

Being outdoors for 20 minutes  day can help reduce
susceptibility to allergens. Photo courtesy of SCA / Photoree

If your child is sneezing all of the time, a short hike outdoors might actually do them good, according to new research. About 20 minutes a day in nature can reduce children’s susceptibility to allergies, according to the Finnish Forest Research Institute (Metla).

This runs counter to current medical practice, which advises isolating children from allergens by keeping them indoors. While the research doesn’t show that children diagnosed with allergies should stop taking medication, it does suggest that for a majority of kids repeated but limited exposure to allergens teaches their immune systems to not overreact to various pollens and molds.

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