July is National Parks and Recreation month. And there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy life outside and physical activity during this Colorado summer.
July is National Parks and Recreation month. And with 42 state parks, four national parks, thousands of miles of hiking and biking trails, and rafting and fishing locations all over the state, there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy life outside and physical activity during this Colorado summer.
With all of these opportunities for outdoor activity, are Coloradans more physically active than residents of other states?
The answer is yes, according to the 2013 Colorado Health Report Card. Colorado ranks fifth among the 50 states, with 84.2 percent of Colorado adults indicating they participated in leisure-time physical activity in the past month. If Colorado moved up to become the top-ranked state, 46,500 more adults would participate in leisure-time physical activity.
Colorado kids, on the other hand, rank 24th for vigorous physical activity. About two-thirds (67.6 percent) of children between ages six and17 participate in frequent physical activity. If Colorado were number one in the nation, an additional 66,600 children would participate in vigorous physical activity.
Colorado excels in some areas, but there is room to do better. For starters, more of us could spend some time outdoors. Studies have suggested that outdoor time increases vitamin D levels, which fight certain conditions like heart attacks and may also promote faster healing and feeling happier.
Engaging in 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity every week is one part of the recommended amount of physical activity from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Taking brisk walks, gardening and playing games are all activities that meet the moderate-intensity level.
Here in Colorado, we are lucky to have access to abundant outdoor resources. The high altitude means less water vapor in the air, which means that our sky is literally bluer. So why not go outside and enjoy it?
Want to know more about policies in Colorado to increase physical activity? Read CHI’s 2014 Reaching Our Peak: Scorecard for a Healthier Colorado.
FAQs
Ng explained that the blue light that is scattered is reflected into the skies better than other colors, creating the blue skies everyone is familiar with. “Here, the sky looks bluer, due to the fact that we're a little higher up in the atmosphere possibly,” Ng said. Denver sits at 5,280 feet above sea level.
Why is the sky bluer in Colorado? ›
That is because there are fewer molecules to scatter light at higher elevations, so only the shortest of wavelengths experience the most scattering as you go up further into the atmosphere.
Why is the sky blue questions and answers? ›
The Short Answer:
Sunlight reaches Earth's atmosphere and is scattered in all directions by all the gases and particles in the air. Blue light is scattered more than the other colors because it travels as shorter, smaller waves. This is why we see a blue sky most of the time.
Is the sky bluer at higher latitudes? ›
The latitude affects the angle of the sun and the amount of atmosphere the light has to travel through, making the sky appear more intense blue closer to the equator.
What is the color of the sky in answer? ›
The sky appears blue to the human eye as the short waves of blue light are scattered more than the other colours in the spectrum, making the blue light more visible. To understand why the sky is blue, we first need to understand a little bit about light.
What does "the sky is blue" mean? ›
Originally Answered: What does the phrase "The Sky is blue" mean? It is usually used as an expression to mean that things are going well in life, or that one's future looks promising. It can also be more specific, to mean that someone is having a good day, or that they have been having good luck.
What color is the Colorado sky? ›
Blue. The color blue represents Colorado's open skies. With towering landscapes and abundant sunshine, it makes it easy to catch a great view in this state. On most days you will look up to see clear blue skies accompanying the sunshine.
Why is the sky blue interview answer? ›
The colour of the sky comes from sunlight scattering off of the air molecules (and to your eyes). Blue light gets scattered more than red light because it has a shorter wavelength, and so the light you see when you look at the sky appears blue.
What is the best response to why is the sky blue? ›
The scattering caused by these tiny air molecules (known as Rayleigh scattering) increases as the wavelength of light decreases. Violet and blue light have the shortest wavelengths and red light has the longest. Therefore, blue light is scattered more than red light and the sky appears blue during the day.
Why is the sky blue readworks answers? ›
Gas molecules in the atmosphere scatter, in all directions, the short wavelength light that appears blue to us. Longer wavelength light is largely unaffected as it passes through the atmosphere. As a result, when you look at the sky, you see blue everywhere.
A 27-year-old TV researcher who won a competition to travel the globe in search of the world's "bluest" sky has found that Brazil is the place to be if blue is your colour.
Why is the sky bluer in Arizona? ›
Sonoran Desert skies are such a deep blue (to human eyes) because desert air is unusually pure, that is, compared to the air above many other places on the planet; it's relatively free of the tiny floating particles and droplets called aerosols.
Is the sky bluer when its cold? ›
The more Rayleigh scattering occurring, the more blue the sky looks. This is much easier to accomplish during the Fall and winter season when it's cold and drier. With less particles and moisture to scatter through the atmosphere, a bluer sky appears as a result!
What color do astronauts see the sky in? ›
To an astronaut, the sky looks dark and black instead of blue because there is no atmosphere containing air in the outer space to scatter sunlight. So, there is no scattered light to reach our eyes in outer space, therefore the sky looks dark and black there.
Why isn't the moon blue? ›
In very rare circ*mstances, the Moon can appear blue, but in this case the colour would be caused by viewing the Moon through a haze of dust particles in our atmosphere, perhaps from a recent volcanic eruption. From space, however, the Moon will look just as grey as it always has!
Why is the sky blue short answer? ›
The Short Answer: Gases and particles in Earth's atmosphere scatter sunlight in all directions. Blue light is scattered more than other colors because it travels as shorter, smaller waves. This is why we see a blue sky most of the time.
Why are Colorado sunsets so pretty? ›
As the sun lowers, the colors and textures of the cloud layers will slowly shift, depending on how high in the sky thy are. The causes a spectacular vibrant kaleidoscope effect across the evening sky.
Why is the Denver sky so blue? ›
Ng explained that the blue light that is scattered is reflected into the skies better than other colors, creating the blue skies everyone is familiar with. “Here, the sky looks bluer, due to the fact that we're a little higher up in the atmosphere possibly,” Ng said. Denver sits at 5,280 feet above sea level.
Why is the sun more intense in Colorado? ›
The higher up in altitude that you get, the stronger the sun becomes. And so Colorado, you know we're probably somewhere around 20 to maybe 35 percent stronger sun, or stronger UV radiation than what you have at sea-level. Also the air is more dry here. We tend not to have as many clouds.
Which state has the bluest skies? ›
The 5 Clearest Blue Skies in the U.S.
- 1.) Asheville-Brevard, North Carolina. ...
- 2.) Athens, Clarke County, Georgia. ...
- 3.) Atlantic City-Hammonton, New Jersey. ...
- 4.) Austin-Round Rock-Marble Falls, Texas. ...
- Bangor, Maine. Q: If a firework goes off and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?
