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Picture yourself taking a leisurely walk along a wooded path, sun peeking through the trees. Feel relaxed already? Several recent studies suggest that spending time outdoors has both mental and physical benefits. The latest one takes that research a step further: it used a brain scan to capture nature's effect on how we think.
In the study, researchers asked 38 residents of an urban area to take a walk. Half strolled through a natural area, while the other half walked along a busy road.
Before and after the study, participants filled out a survey that aimed to capture their thinking patterns. In particular, the surveys measured participants' tendency toward rumination. That style of often negative, inward-looking thinking is linked with a higher depression risk.
Participants also had their brains scanned before and after the walk.
The results? Questionnaires revealed that the participants who took a nature walk changed their thinking pattern. Brain scans matched those improved moods.
“This provides robust results for us that nature experience, even of a short duration, can decrease this pattern of thinking that is associated with the onset, in some cases, of mental illnesses like depression,” Gregory Bratman, the lead author of the study, told The Washington Post.
More research is needed to learn more about the link between nature walks and improved mental health. Exercise already provides a health boost, though, so there's already a strong case for taking your walk through the park.
Want to enjoy the benefits of a nature walk while meeting members of the Parkinson's community and supporting critical research? Meet up with Sam Fox (no relation to Michael) and fellow supporters as Tour de Fox makes its way across the country this summer. Many of the hikes require no hiking experience -- just a good pair of a shoes and love of the outdoors.
https://www.michaeljfox.org/foundation/news-detail.php?nature-walks-may-be-good-for-your-brain-study-finds
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Nature Walks May Help Reduce Stress and Depression
This is not one of those counterintuitive, huh-that-doesn't-make-sense studies: New research in the journal Ecopsychology suggests that group nature walks may be an effective means of cheering people up and reducing their stress levels.
The University of Michigan press release accompanying the study explains that researchers "evaluated 1,991 participants from the Walking for Health program in England, which helps facilitate nearly 3,000 weekly walks and draws more than 70,000 regular walkers a year."
Here's what they found:
People who had recently experienced stressful life events like a serious illness, death of a loved one, marital separation or unemployment especially saw a mood boost after outdoor group walks.“We hear people say they feel better after a walk or going outside but there haven’t been many studies of this large size to support the conclusion that these behaviors actually improve your mental health and well-being,” says senior author Sara Warber, M.D., associate professor of family medicine at the U-M Medical School and member of the Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation.
Given that exercise and social interaction are both natural mood-boosters, it shouldn't come as a shock that combining the two is effective as well. But this is still a useful reminder that how we plan our cities can have psychological consequences (when you live in megasprawl, it's not easy to get to nature), and that while severe depression or anxiety can't simply be walked away, there are basic everyday things that most people can do to feel a little bit happier.
http://nymag.com/scienceofus/2014/09/nature-walks-as-antidepressants.html
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