Maybe you took to heart my recent post about the health dangers of sitting too much. Now it鈥檚 time to think about getting outside!
affirms the numerous health benefits of spending time in natural settings: walking in woods or urban parks, canoeing down a river, tending a vegetable garden, meandering along a coastline or a lake shore.
Researchers have found that spending time in nature strengthens a person’s immune system, reduces stress hormones, lowers blood pressure, and improves social interactions. Furthermore, it may improve learning and increase empathy.
Even improves our sense of wellbeing.
What鈥檚 more, creating green spaces such as parks and community gardens in urban residential environments reduces crime (especially gun violence), decreases domestic violence, stimulates positive social interactions, strengthens family connections.
Even hospital patients exposed to green spaces through their windows (rather than parking lots) have better clinical outcomes. They experience less fear, anxiety and anger. They have lower blood pressure and need fewer medications.
Biophilia: Human health may depend on connecting with nature
Biol颅o颅gist Edward O. Wil颅son and others have hypothesized that a deep affinity they call exists between humans and other liv颅ing sys颅tems. Proponents of the hypothesis suggest that a connection with the plants and animals around us, including those species too small to see, is essential to our physical and mental health and productivity.
Public health advocates around the world have begun advocating immersion in nature for health. For example:
- The Japanese have studied the specific effects of shinrin-yoku, 鈥,鈥 for health.
- Scandinavians have begun promoting their 150 year-old tradition of 鈥攚hich roughly translates into 鈥渙utdoor living and recreation鈥濃攆or health purposes.
- , a movement started by a medical doctor in Great Britain in 1997, combines outdoor physical fitness with conservation work.
Play in the Dirt!
Another line of provocative research suggests that , Mycobacterium vaccae, in natural settings may activate brain chemicals whose effects are similar to antidepressants.
Further research suggests that contact with the bacteria may even . As adults, perhaps we need to mimic our children鈥檚 instinctive behavior by getting out to play or walk in the dirt and make mud pies.
The buzzword connectivity describes the technological innovations that connect us 24/7 to our electronic communication devices. Yet with all the research associating improved health with spending time in the natural world, we all might want to consider unplugging and re-establishing a deeper connection with that world outside our windows.
A final point worth pondering: What we don鈥檛 know and experience directly and intimately, we have little motivation to care for. How can we expect future generations to understand and protect our common natural environments if young people rarely go out and experience them?
Learn more
