Time in the Sunlight: How 20 Minutes a Day Can Reboot Your Health
Most of us spend about 93% of our lives indoors, surrounded by LED bulbs and filtered air. We sit under artificial light all day, and then we wonder why we’re tired, inflamed, or sleeping poorly — even when we’re eating better, exercising, and taking all the right supplements.
The truth is, we’ve become disconnected from one of the most powerful nutrients for health and longevity: sunlight.
Are You Sunlight Deficient?
- Low energy or fatigue
- Inflammation or chronic pain
- Trouble sleeping
- Seasonal depression
- Even elevated cholesterol and triglycerides
A century ago, doctors designed hospitals with big open windows so patients could heal with fresh air and direct sunlight. Florence Nightingale herself called those two things — fresh air and sunlight — the greatest healers she’d ever seen. Somewhere along the way, we forgot that.
The Three Macronutrients of Light
Think of light like we think of food — it has macronutrients your body depends on:
- Visible Light
This is the light you can see. It helps set your body’s internal clock (your circadian rhythm), lifts your mood, and improves focus. Morning light especially helps anchor your sleep-wake cycle and can even help prevent seasonal depression. - Ultraviolet Light (UVB)
This is the short-wave, high-energy light that helps your skin produce vitamin D. That single nutrient plays a huge role in immunity, bone strength, and overall vitality. - Infrared Light
You can’t see this one — but you can feel it. It’s the deep, gentle warmth from the sun that penetrates through your skin and even your clothing. Infrared light recharges your mitochondria, the energy factories in every cell.
In other words, sunlight literally charges your batteries. Without it, you’re running on low power.
Your Body Runs on Light
When you get sunlight on your skin, your mitochondria wake up. They start producing more energy, improving everything from blood sugar to brain function.
That’s why spending all day indoors under LED lights (which have almost zero infrared) leaves us drained. Our modern lighting has stripped away a whole part of the light spectrum our biology depends on. We need time in the sunlight.
20 Minutes Can Make a Difference
Studies show that 15–20 minutes of natural sunlight — even in the shade — can recharge your cells, improve mood, and lower inflammation.
Some hospital studies have even found that patients recover faster when their beds are closer to a window. Light really is medicine.
Personally, I try to spend time outside every day. Some days I manage a morning walk or a short workout in the yard. Other days, I might only get outside walking to the car. I’m not perfect about it — but every bit helps.
When I do get that time outdoors, I notice a real difference. My eyesight seems sharper. I’ve found that when I’m reading outside, or in any good natural light, I can read without glasses. Indoors, under poor lighting, it’s a different story.
For a couple of years, my bearded dragon, Aztec, and I had a little morning ritual. We’d sit together in the backyard, both soaking up the morning light. He’d look at me, I’d look at him. We didn’t say much — we just enjoyed being alive, surrounded by all that light and life. I miss those quiet moments.
Move, Sweat, and Shine
There’s something about working up a good sweat outdoors that no gym can match — breathing in fresh air, feeling the warmth of the sun, and letting your body recalibrate the way it was designed to.
Relearning the Rhythm of the Sun
- Morning light wakes up your body and resets your clock.
- Midday light supports vitamin D production and strengthens bones.
- Evening light signals your body to wind down and prepare for rest.
When you step outside throughout the day — even just briefly — you’re syncing your biology back to the natural rhythm your body still remembers.
A Simple, Free, and Powerful Habit
Get outside for at least 20 minutes every day.
You don’t need to sunbathe or spend hours outdoors. Sit under a tree, take a walk around the block, eat lunch outside, or just stand on your driveway for a few minutes.
Even on cloudy days, you’re still getting the visible and infrared light your body needs to function at its best.
Side Note: My Redox Connection
Just as sunlight restores redox balance in your cells, these products support redox signaling — the tiny communication signals that tell your cells when to repair, renew, and recover.
It’s another way I help my body do what it’s designed to do: thrive in the light.
Final Thought
The simplest health habit might just be the one we’ve ignored the longest: step outside.
Let the sun hit your skin, breathe the fresh air, and remember — we were never meant to live under artificial light.
We were built for sunlight.
