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What are some valid reasons for going outside during the daylight hours? Are there any real downsides to totally withdrawing from humanity and living a hermit-like lifestyle in a cave / bunker?

It seems that what can be done in natural light can also very easily be accomplished in the soft warm flicker of a fluorescent light bulb.

  • FACT: During the day time more people are outside. The number of homicidal crazy people in a given area increases proportionally with the number of people outside at that time. There is, of course, a diminishing returns at some point as you will have close to all of the murderous nut-jobs milling about outdoors.
  • FACT: There are fewer cars on the road at night. That decreases the chance of developing an RSI. And by "repetitive stress injury" I mean a one-time t-boning from someone texting their BFF Jill while driving.

Any thoughts or professional insight on this?

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Not really sure what this has to do with fitness or nutrition? – Greg♦ Jan 31 '12 at 19:31
@Greg I couldn't find a suitable SE site on which to post it. As this is the closest one to health in general I felt it was a decent question. Sunlight is just scary to me and it needs to be addressed. – Yuck Jan 31 '12 at 19:36
we've been pretty careful not to get in the business of tackling health as a general topic (see FAQ for specific guidelines). That said the "facts" in the question aren't about health (i.e. sunburns or vitamin D), they're about the behavior of people. – Greg♦ Jan 31 '12 at 19:58

closed as off topic by Greg♦ Jan 31 '12 at 19:31

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1 Answer

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Our ancestors lived by working in the day and resting when the sun sets. By removing yourself from the sunlight goes against thousands of years our DNA has developed. Our body works on a circadian rhythm which causes us to wake up with the sun and sleep when it is dark. By going against our natural body tendencies you are causing unnecessary stress agains your endocrine system, as you fight to stay awake when your body really should be resting.

Additionally vitamin D is an essential hormone we can produce through the conversion of cholesterol with sunlight. By avoiding the sunlight you are not acquiring any of the healthy benefits vitamin d has to offer including strong bones, immune system, brain function, etc. Most people living in a westernized society are affected by a vitamin d deficiency and may attribute to our increased levels of heart disease, diabetes and obesity.

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