Tejal Somvanshi
recent video shows HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz hiking through Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, promoting a straightforward health message: just 15 minutes outdoors daily can transform your wellbeing.
“Fifteen minutes outside can change your day — and your life,” Kennedy posted on August 14. “It sharpens your mind, strengthens your body, and restores the connection so many of us have lost — to each other, to nature, and to ourselves.”
The video captures Kennedy and Oz traversing rocky terrain while discussing how simple outdoor activity boosts physical and mental health.
“I try to hike every day because it focuses my clarity, my creativity,” Kennedy says in the clip. “The sunlight is medicine. It gives you vitamin D in your body. It also helps you adjust your circadian rhythm.”
Kennedy details several physiological benefits of regular walking: better sleep patterns, cardiovascular improvements, blood sugar regulation, stronger muscles, and fall prevention through improved balance. He also mentions mood enhancement: “If you want to change a bad mood, if you want to get out of your own trap, well, as well it’s walk.”
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The economic claim stands out when Dr. Oz states: “You walk 15 minutes a day, you save the country $100 billion in health expenses.” While research supports that physical activity reduces healthcare spending, this specific figure requires verification.
The social aspect of outdoor activity receives equal emphasis. “I always try to take a friend because you have these discussions with them that never come up otherwise,” Kennedy explains, describing outdoor connection as providing “intimacy and connection not only to your friends but also to nature.”
The video comes during ongoing conversations about the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) initiative and follows Kennedy’s controversial cancellation of $500 million in mRNA vaccine research.
Kennedy expresses concern about children’s screen time versus outdoor exposure: “The average kid spends about 7 hours on screens and less than 70 minutes outdoors, and we have to change that.” This aligns with recent studies showing children ages 8-12 spend about 5.5 hours daily on screens for entertainment, while teens average around 7.5 hours.
The video occurred at Garden of the Gods, a National Natural Landmark featuring distinctive red sandstone formations and over 21 miles of trails ranging from paved paths to challenging routes. The park allows technical climbing with proper equipment and permits, but prohibits “rock scrambling,” defined as climbing on rock formations more than 10 feet above the base without proper equipment.
This outdoor health message appears as part of broader preventive health initiatives aimed at reducing healthcare costs through lifestyle changes.The video covered hiking benefits, vitamin D from sunlight, social connection value, and the potential economic impact of regular physical activity.
