How Much Time Should You Spend Outside Each Day?

If you want to spend more time outside, you may wonder how many minutes you should aim for each day.

Is 10 minutes enough? Should you aim for 20 or 30 minutes? Do you need to spend the time walking, or does sitting outside count too?

There is no single daily outdoor target that is right for everyone. A useful goal depends on your current routine, schedule, surroundings, the time of year and what you want your outdoor time to include.

This guide will help you understand the difference between outdoor time, time in nature and physical activity so that you can choose a realistic daily goal.

Is there an official recommendation for daily outdoor time?

There is no widely accepted public health guideline stating that every adult must spend a specific number of minutes outside each day.

You may see recommendations such as 20, 30 or 60 minutes a day, but these numbers are often general wellbeing suggestions rather than universal requirements.

Outdoor time can also mean several different things. It could include:

• sitting on a balcony or patio
• walking through a town or neighbourhood
• working in a garden
• spending time in a park, forest or other natural setting
• exercising outdoors
• completing everyday errands on foot

These activities do not all involve the same amount of movement or contact with nature. This is one reason a single daily number cannot describe every type of outdoor time.

For a broader introduction to creating an outdoor routine, start with How to Spend More Time Outside: A Simple 30 Day Challenge.

What does the research about 120 minutes in nature mean?

One number that frequently appears in discussions about outdoor time is 120 minutes a week.

A large observational study published in Scientific Reports examined recreational time spent in natural environments by almost 20,000 people in England. Participants who reported at least 120 minutes in nature during the previous week were more likely to report good health and higher wellbeing than participants who reported no nature contact.

The researchers also found that the 120 minutes could be accumulated during one longer visit or several shorter visits.

However, this finding should not be treated as a precise medical prescription. The study identified an association; it did not prove that exactly 120 minutes causes a particular health result. It also focused on recreational time in natural environments rather than every minute spent outdoors.

You can read the original study in Scientific Reports and explore the topic further in What Are the Benefits of Spending Time Outside Regularly?

Outdoor time is not the same as physical activity

Time outside and physical activity can overlap, but they are not the same goal.

If you take a brisk outdoor walk, that time may contribute to both your outdoor routine and your weekly physical activity. Sitting outside with a book contributes to your outdoor goal but would not count as moderate-intensity exercise.

The World Health Organization recommends that adults complete at least 150–300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity each week, or the equivalent amount of vigorous activity. These are physical activity recommendations, not requirements for how long you must remain outdoors.

Walking, cycling, gardening and outdoor games can help combine the two goals. However, you do not have to exercise every time you step outside.

If you want gentler options, see Outdoor Activities That Do Not Feel Like Exercise. You can also read Does Sitting Outside Count? Easy Ways to Get Outdoors Without Exercising.

How to choose your daily outdoor goal

Instead of searching for one perfect number, begin with an amount of time that fits your current life.

Your goal should be clear enough to track but realistic enough to repeat on ordinary days. Think about your work schedule, responsibilities, mobility, local surroundings and typical weather.

Here are some practical starting points:

5–10 minutes a day

This can be a useful starting goal if you currently spend most days indoors, have limited time or want to make the first step as easy as possible.

You might drink something outside, walk around the block, sit near your home or spend a few minutes outdoors after lunch.

15–20 minutes a day

This provides enough time for a short walk, an outdoor lunch break or a quiet break in a nearby outdoor space while still fitting into many daily schedules.

You can also divide the goal into two shorter breaks.

30 minutes a day

This may work well if you already walk regularly, have a nearby park or want outdoor time to include more movement.

A 30-minute goal can still be divided across the day. For example, you could spend 10 minutes outside in the morning and 20 minutes outside later.

More than 30 minutes a day

A longer goal may suit you if outdoor activities are already part of your routine or you have enough time to maintain it consistently.

Do not choose a longer target simply because it sounds more impressive. For a daily challenge, repeatability matters more than selecting the largest possible number.

These ranges are practical examples, not medical recommendations. Your circumstances may make a shorter or longer goal more appropriate.

Start from your current routine

Your starting point matters.

If you currently spend almost no intentional time outdoors, suddenly choosing 60 minutes every day may create an unnecessary barrier. A 5- or 10-minute goal gives you an opportunity to practise remembering and preparing for outdoor time first.

If you already walk for 20 minutes most days, choosing a 5-minute target may not represent the change you want to make. You could choose a goal that gently extends your existing routine instead.

Ask yourself:

• How much time do I currently spend outside on an ordinary day?
• Which days of the week are most difficult?
• What amount could I complete even on a busy day?
• Do I want my goal to include movement, relaxation or both?
• Can I maintain the same target in my current season and weather?

Choose your target based on the more difficult ordinary days, not only on weekends or days when you have plenty of free time.

Can you divide your outdoor goal into shorter breaks?

Yes. Your chosen daily total does not have to be completed all at once.

For example, a 20-minute goal could include:

• 5 minutes outside in the morning
• 10 minutes during lunch
• 5 minutes after work

Shorter breaks can be especially practical when you have a busy schedule, care responsibilities or a workday that makes a longer outdoor break difficult.

If remembering several breaks feels complicated, one scheduled outdoor period may be easier. The best structure is the one you can follow without repeatedly reorganising your entire day.

For practical reminder strategies, read How to Remember to Get Outside During a Busy Day. Remote workers can also use the ideas in How to Get Outside More When You Work From Home.

Does the time of day matter?

Different times of day can offer different practical advantages.

Morning outdoor time can be connected to waking, breakfast or the beginning of your workday. A lunchtime break can interrupt a long period spent indoors. Evening outdoor time may be easier when work and other responsibilities are finished.

Daylight is an important environmental signal for the body’s internal clock, but you do not need to select the theoretically perfect time before beginning your challenge.

Start with the time you are most likely to repeat. You can compare the options in Morning, Lunch or Evening: When Is the Best Time to Go Outside?

Should your goal change with the seasons?

Your outdoor routine may need to adapt as daylight, temperature and weather change.

A 30-minute goal that feels easy during a mild summer may require more planning during a dark or cold winter. Hot weather can also make the middle of the day uncomfortable or unsafe.

You could keep the same daily total but divide it into shorter periods, change the time of day or choose an activity closer to home.

Use suitable clothing, seek shade when needed and follow local guidance during extreme heat, cold, storms or poor air quality. Outdoor time should not require ignoring unsafe conditions.

For cold and dark seasons, see How to Spend More Time Outside in Winter.

Choose one goal for your 30 day challenge

Once you have considered your starting point and schedule, choose one daily target for the challenge.

Writing down a specific number removes the need to negotiate with yourself each day. You know exactly when you have reached your goal.

Try to avoid changing the number from day to day simply to make the challenge easier to complete. If you discover that your original goal is genuinely unrealistic, make one intentional adjustment and use the new target consistently.

The 30 Day Get Outside Path allows you to choose your own daily number of outdoor minutes. Complete one circle each day you reach that goal and watch your progress build over 30 completed days.

Your daily action is:

Spend your chosen number of minutes outside and complete one circle when you reach your daily goal.

Make your chosen goal easier to complete

After choosing your number, decide what you will actually do during those minutes.

Create a short list of easy options for different situations:

• a normal option for an ordinary day
• a quick option for a busy day
• a sheltered option for wet weather
• a low-energy option for days when you do not want to walk
• a social option you can do with someone else

You can find practical possibilities in 25 Easy Ways to Spend More Time Outside.

Then connect the outdoor break to something that already happens in your day, such as breakfast, lunch or finishing work. How to Build a Daily Outdoor Habit That Fits Your Routine explains how to create this connection.

How many minutes should you choose?

The most useful answer is not the largest number or the number most often repeated online.

Choose an amount that:

• requires a small intentional change
• fits into an ordinary weekday
• can be clearly measured
• works with your current abilities and surroundings
• can be adapted safely to the weather
• feels realistic enough to repeat for 30 days

If you are still uncertain, begin with 10 minutes. After completing the challenge, you can decide whether you want to maintain that goal or gradually increase it.

The purpose of the challenge is not to prove how long you can stay outside. It is to make outdoor time a visible and repeatable part of your routine.

Choose your minutes, begin your 30 Day Get Outside Path and focus on completing one outdoor goal at a time.