Summer Camp is the ultimate health hack
Get my newsletter every week.
It’s all about kids today
Camps are the healthiest places for kids and adults on planet Earth.
Period. End of sentence.
That could be the whole post this week. We could stop right there.
It’s so obvious, and if you work or have worked in summer camping, then you know it. You get what it’s like, that feeling of a summer spent outside wildin’ for hours on end.
And if you are out in the corporate world, I’m sure you still feel drawn to those summers of the past. Maybe even found it tough to recreate anything close to it in your regular life.
The only way for the next generation to experience the same feeling is to get them to camp.
Andrew Huberman and Peter Attia would love camp
Great news! Some of the best and most popular health experts are out there right now selling summer camps hard; they just might not realize it. Andrew Huberman and Peter Attia, along with some others. I’m looking your way.
You can take everything they say, literally word for word, apply it to camp.
But don’t take my word for it. Just read or listen to everything Huberman and Attia say about best health practices.
And when you do, you’ll be like, “Um, Jack, they’re just describing a day or week at camp.”
Nods head slowly.
Summer Camp Health Benefits
Let’s hit the Huberman and Attia highlights over the course of a camp day. Again, these are the expert hints.
1. Daylight and Sunlight:
Get 2-10 minutes of natural sunlight in the morning shortly after waking. Covered.
How about 2-10 hours? That good enough?
It gets those circadian rhythms going, boosts the mood, and even helps sleep quality later.
2. Exercise:
Rock 30-60 minutes of physical activity daily. Cardio. Mobility. Strength training.
Ok, so maybe our kids aren’t doing deadlifts, but 30-60 minutes of exercise is covered by midmorning.
Oh, and these dudes both think micro-workouts should be in the routine. No problem. Camp is one big micro-workout.
3. Mindfulness and Meditation:
More and more camps are getting deliberate about this, but even in the smaller forms, summer camps hit on these in a big way.
Where else are kids asked daily to think about themselves and those around them in such an intentional way? Gratitude and resilience are part of what these guys preach, and camps help kids do this more than any other place.
Talking, thinking about how actions affect others, and reflecting on the day are all part of what camps are all about, all the time.
4. Nutrition
Meals at the same time every day. Mostly between 8 AM and 6 PM. A set eating schedule with decently healthy options is right in line with best practices.
Plus, most times, kids are so busy that snacking just doesn’t even come up.
5. Social and emotional health
Every health expert agrees that engaging in person with friends and family daily is the key to longevity. Combine it with goal setting around growth and personal improvement, and you’ve got the social and emotional stack.
Summer staffs get trained up on this before kids even come and it’s at the core of how camps operate.
6. Avoid stimulating media
Um, done.
7. Sleep
Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Even on weekends. Avoid caffeine within eight hours of bedtime. Shoot for 7-9 hours per night.
Every camp I’ve ever worked at, with, or for has this in place. Kids are straight exhausted in the best way at the end of the day.
A great night’s sleep, and we start back over at #1 again. The perfect cycle.
The crazy thing with this list? It’s not even close to all of the places where summer camps meet best health practices.
We could also hit things like prioritizing laughter and joyful interactions, drinking a ton of water, stress management, reframing challenging situations, or protecting eyes from excessive screentime.
Name another place that hits the social, emotional, and physical health spectrum anywhere close to summer camps. It doesn’t exist.
Summer camp is the healthiest place on the planet
Get my newsletter every week.
It’s all about kids today
Jack Schott
Summer Camp Evangelist