More Americans are Taking to the Outdoors During Quarantine

Are you spending more time outdoors during the COVID-19 pandemic? If so, you’re in the majority.

While my family and I started doing more outdoor activities like hiking and going to the lake over the last couple of years, we’ve spent way more time in nature this year than in the past thanks to the pandemic.

According to the New York Post, a poll conducted of 2,000 people found that six in ten Americans have a newfound appreciation for nature during quarantine. In fact, 32 percent of people surveyed are spending more time outside than ever before.

Over half of those surveyed said they had gone fishing since the start of quarantine, with 27 percent saying they did so to improve their mental health. You can count me in with that group as I wet a line for the first time in many years over Labor Day weekend and it felt awesome. So much so that my wife insisted we go fishing more often.

Here are the top reasons why Americans go fishing:

1. 44 percent said it relaxes them
2. 40 percent responded that it makes them happy
3. 40 percent said they enjoy spending time outdoors
4. 27 percent claimed it’s a hobby of theirs
5. 26 percent like to fish because it allows them to bond with their family
6. 17 percent said it’s because fishing is an activity they can do while social distancing

The survey also asked what outdoor activities make them feel like a kid again. Here’s the Top 10:

1. Fishing.
2. Camping.
3. Going to the beach.
4. Going to a lake.
5. Riding bikes.
6. Running.
7. Going to a river.
8. Being on a boat.
9. Flying a kite.
10. Hiking.

If you haven’t made it outside since the pandemic started, I highly recommend you do so. My mood has improved greatly since I started spending more time in the great outdoors.