The SHIFT Rx Challenge: Take Your Doctor’s Health Recommendations Outside

JACKSON, WY— This year’s SHIFT Festival revolves one single call to action, per doctor’s orders:

Go outside.

It’s pretty common knowledge at this point that physical activity is good for you. Organizations such as The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, The American Heart Association and The World Health Organization recommend basic levels of physical activity to improve bone health, cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness, reduce the risk of chronic disease and depression, and prevent heart disease and stroke, among other benefits.

The 2018 SHIFT Festival, which will take place October 16-18, 2018 in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, takes it one step further: physical activity outside in nature is one of the kindest things you can do to your body. This year’s festival will focus on the health benefits of time outside in nature—benefits documented by research that can be found on sites like Active Living Research and Institute of the Golden Gate.

To raise awareness of such benefits, SHIFT JH is launching The SHIFT Rx Challenge, which encourages adults aged 18–64 to take The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Recommendations for Physical Activity … outside.

The SHIFT Rx Challenge runs July 30-October 12. To participate, adults aged 18–64 are challenged to do:

• At least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity at least 5 days per week for a total of 150 minutes outside in nature;

• At least 25 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity at least 3 days per week for a total of 75 minutes outside in nature;

• A combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic activity outside in nature;

PLUS

• Moderate- to high-intensity muscle-strengthening activity at least 2 days per week outside in nature for additional health benefits.

Participants must also:

Meet the recommendations for a minimum of six weeks.
Do a self-reported baseline exam via this survey, which has been designed in conjunction with Rachel Hopman, a Postdoctoral Fellow at Northeastern University as well as a 2018 Emerging Leader, and her colleagues at The University of Utah’s Department of Psychology.

Participants who complete the challenge will be entered into a raffle for a $500 gift certificate from Stio.

To support participants who accept the challenge, SHIFT organizers have developed The SHIFT Rx Challenge Pyramid. Informed by Florence Williams’ research in her book The Nature Fix, as well as the work of Tim Beatley, Founder of Biophilic Cities, The SHIFT Rx Challenge indicates optimal “doses” of nature. From daily micro-doses that can range from exposure to daylight and plant life multiple times per day to annual multi-day excursions into wilderness areas where people can disconnect from technology, the Pyramid offers recommendations for duration as well as location of nature contact.

“Time spent outside in nature is good for us,” said Christian Beckwith, Executive Director of The Center for Jackson Hole, SHIFT’s parent organization. “In an age when the average American child spends seven hours per day in front of screens and seven minutes in unstructured play outside; rising obesity rates add billions of dollars to health care costs; opioid addictions outpace car accidents as the leading cause of death; and the growing disconnect from nature, particularly in our urban areas, leads to stress, depression and increased levels of mental anxiety in our citizens, time outside has never been more important.”

“We’re excited to help advance and promote the health benefits of time outside with the SHIFT Rx Challenge.”