outdoor activity

Twenty-five years ago on October 18, Nintendo launched its Nintendo Entertainment System in the United States and—depending on your point of view—began a video game revolution that has taken entertainment technology to previously unfathomable heights. Or it has captivated the attention and interest of millions of children and adults, in over two decades of software and console development, prompting Americans to stay indoors and avoid exercise. Perhaps you see it both ways.

Using routes and maps from the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy’s (RTC) trail finder site, Google Maps now offers bicycle routes in its directions feature.  Simply type in your address, where you want to go and select “Bicycling” from the drop down menu. You should get at least two possible routes. Since 2000, RTC has gathered information on more than 1,600 rail-trails and connecting…

According to a study published last month in the Archives of Ophthalmology, nearsightedness, called myopia, has increased in the U.S. by 66% since the early 1970s. And the intensity of the disorder has also increased—that is, the prevalence of people with moderate cases of myopia has nearly doubled since the 70s. Susan Vitale, an epidemiologist at the National Eye Institute…