Great outdoors? Most Britons hardly ever see it!

OUR rolling hills and trimmed hedgerows are often presented as a quintessential image of Britain.

But it seems many of us are now unlikely to recognise this portrayal, with the average Briton spending the vast majority of their time inside.

We now spend 142 hours a week indoors, compared with just 26 outside, a survey has found. This works out at 53 years of a person’s life, including time spent at work, shopping, watching television or in the car.

Yet we will only spend a decade of our lives outdoors enjoying fresh air or nature.

Nearly half of us (47 per cent) say we rarely have the time or opportunity to explore the great outdoors, while 15 per cent complained they don’t have any picturesque sites nearby for them to visit. And 8 per cent struggled to recall the last time they even went for a walk and saw wildlife or greenery, the survey of 1,500 people by Jordans cereals found.

The unpredictable British weather was what put many off leaving the house, with the typical adult unsurprisingly spending twice as long outside in the summer as they do in the winter. Not having a companion to go with, mobility issues and having children were other reasons Britons gave for not venturing outside.

Jordans marketing manager Alex Murphy said: ‘From the British weather to money woes, this new research reveals that there are a number of reasons as to why us Brits don’t go outside as much as we’d like to, resulting in a disconnection with nature.

‘We’re passionate about helping the UK form a closer bond with nature. Whether it’s a five-minute stroll, trip to your local park, or somewhere further afield, we hope Brits are encouraged to get out there into the great outdoors as much as possible.’

Caroline Drummond, chief executive at environmental group LEAF, said: ‘These results suggest that sadly many people are missing out on all that the countryside has to offer.

‘Spending time outdoors benefits our mental and physical health, and wellbeing – important for us all, including young people. Something as simple as going for a walk or visiting a farm can make a massive impact.’

‘Missing out on the countryside’