The Benefits of Nature Therapy

After working long hours in front of my computer, nothing rejuvenates me more than spending a few minutes in nature. My headaches, which I suffer from time to time, disappear after just a few minutes of walking outside within my backyard. This is what I call my nature therapy.

We know that walking is the best exercise, but it benefits our body, mind, and spirit even better when we do it in nature.

Science proves that long walks in nature nourish our mind, body, and spirit.

Here are the 16 Benefits of Walking in Nature

1.Walking, in nature, provides an inexplicable sense of tranquil awareness.

When we walk in nature, the only sounds are those of our footsteps, breathing, the rustling trees, the wind, and the movements of the creatures who call nature their home.

People who appreciate nature and make an effort to spend time in nature are healthier, happier, and more creative because being in nature reduces stress and helps us find meaning, and enables us to connect to our true selves.

Numerous studies reveal the psychological benefits of being in nature – the closer we are to nature, the happier we feel. Nature is a powerful anti-depressant.

Scientists conducted a study in Japan to monitor the effects of a practice known as “Shinrin-yoku,” which means forest-bathing.

They did field experiments in 24 forests across Japan, with 280 participants in total. The scientists would send one-half of the participants into the woods and the other half into a city. The following day, those who spent time in the woods would be sent into a city and vice versa.

The scientists found that those who spent their day in forests have lower cortisol concentrations, lower pulse rate, and lower blood pressure, which means participants were less stressed when they were in nature than in an urban environment. So, if we are feeling down or a little overwhelmed, go for a walk in the woods. It will boost our mood.

The benefits of making an effort to leave our urban dwellings and spend time in nature are life-saving.

2.Walking in nature strengthens our muscles and immune systems.

Waking in nature benefits not only our minds but also our bodies.  Phytoncides (essential wood oils) are chemicals emitted by plants to protect themselves from insects and rotting. This chemical helps strengthen our immune systems if we are exposed to them.

Research from the Nippon Medical School in Tokyo found when humans breathe in these chemicals. It increases natural killer cells, a type of white blood cell, in our bodies.

Natural killer cells are our immune systems’ soldiers as they hunt and kill tumors or infected cells. Therefore, walking in nature could end up saving our lives.

3.Our minds are sharper and more inventive after spending time in nature.

We set aside so much of our waking hours on our mobile phones and other digital devices that we unconsciously reach for them whenever we’re bored.

A study at the University of Kansas and the University of Utah showed that spending time in the great outdoors away from all technological devices makes us more intuitive and creative.

In the research, 56 participants were sent on hiking excursions from four to six days in the forest. During this time, they were not allowed to use any electronic devices.

The research results showed that the participants have a 50 percent increase in their creativity, overall attention, and problem-solving abilities after a few days in nature away from technology. This suggests natural environments stimulate the brain in ways that modern civilization cannot, improving our cognitive abilities and igniting our imaginations.

Anne Frank wrote that the best solution for those who are afraid, lonely, or unhappy is to go outside. She believed that nature brings solace in all troubles.

4.Spending time outside improves our physical and mental health.

Spending time in forests, hiking in the mountains, and just being outside can significantly benefit health. Studies reveal that walking in the woods improves blood pressure, boosts mental health, and decreases cancer risk. So let us go spend some time “forest-bathing” to enhance our health.

Most people spend workdays indoors under fluorescent lights and in front of computers, then return home and watch another blue screen.

But research suggests it’s essential and beneficial to human health to make time to get outdoors.

Science support this theory, so we should go outside and enjoy the natural world. But we don’t all need to move to beautiful places surrounded by mountains— there are various reasons to live in big cities. 

We need to spend more time in natural environments if we want to improve our physical and mental health. That could mean walking the hiking trails near our home, playing in the snow, swimming in the ocean, creating a garden in our backyard, or just spending time every week in a local park.

 5. Walking in nature improves our short-term memory.

Several studies show that nature walks have memory-enhancing effects.

In one study, students of the University of Michigan were given a brief memory test and divided into groups of two. The first group walked around an arboretum, and the second group took a walk down a city street. When the study members came back and did the test again, those who had walked among trees performed almost 20% percent better than their first test. In contrast, the group of people who had taken in city sights instead did not consistently improve.

A similar study on individuals with depression found that walks in nature improved working memory much more than walks in urban environments.

6. Being outdoors has a demonstrated de-stressing effect.

The physical signs of stress in the body is decreased when we are spending time outdoors in nature.

One study discovered that students sent into the forest for two nights had lower cortisol levels — a hormone used as a marker for stress — than those who spent that time in a city.

In another study, researchers found that those who spent time in the forest compared to those in the city had a decrease in both heart rates and cortisol levels.

The researchers concluded that “Stressful states can be relieved by forest therapy.”

For office workers, even a view of nature out a window is associated with lower stress and higher job satisfaction.

7. Spending time outdoors in nature decreases inflammation.

With persistent inflammation, a wide range of ills, including autoimmune disorders, inflammatory bowel disease, depression, and cancer happen. Spending time in nature is one way to rebalance our bodies.

In one study, students who were in the forest had lower inflammation levels than those who spent time in the city. In another study, elderly patients who were sent on a weeklong trip into the forest showed reduced signs of inflammation. There were some indications that the excursion into nature had a positive effect on those patients’ hypertension levels as well.

8. Resolves Mental Fatigue  

Mental exhaustion is just an accumulation of too much: Too many decisions. Too much work and not enough time. Too many demands, interruptions, and shifts in attention. Feelings of overwhelm from too many things going on without time to pause and restore.

One thing that can restore our mind is exposure to rejuvenating environments, which means the great outdoors. One study found that people’s mental energy came back even with just looking at pictures or images of nature. Pictures of city scenes had no comparable effect.

Studies have also found that the beauty of natural beauty can bring out feelings of awe; one of the great ways to experience a mental boost.

9.Outdoor experiences help relieve depression and anxiety.

Mental health problems, namely anxiety, and depression, may all be alleviated by spending time in nature — especially when combined with exercise.

One study showed that walks in the forest were related to reduced bad moods and levels of anxiety, and another found that outdoor walks could be added clinically in addition to current major depressive disorder treatments.

An analysis of 10 earlier studies found that green exercise in every green environment improved both self-esteem and mood. The review also indicated that the mentally ill had one of the greatest self-esteem improvements.

The presence of water made positive effects even stronger, the findings suggested.

10. Being outside helps protect our vision.

 A fairly large body of research in children revealed that outdoor activities may have a protective effect on the eyes and decreases the risk of developing myopia(nearsightedness)

 A 2012 review of the research concluded that increasing time spent outdoors may be a simple way by which to decrease the risk of developing myopia and its progression in children and adolescents.

In Taiwan, researchers studied two schools where myopia was common. They asked one school to encourage outdoor activity during recess and monitored the other as a control. After a year, the rate of myopia in the control school was 17.65% versus in the “play outside” school, which was just 8.41%.

11. Spending time outside lowers our blood pressure.

Walking in nature reduces blood pressure. This has been shown by various studies. One study of 280 participants in Japan revealed that aside from decreasing stress hormone concentrations by more than 15%, a walk-in nature lowered participants’ average pulse by almost 4% and blood pressure by just over 2%.

12. It could improve our ability to focus.

Nature is “restorative” — it improves attention.

In a study, researchers worked to reduce participants’ ability to focus. Some people walked in nature, others walked through the city, and the others just relaxed. When everyone came back, the nature group scored the best on a proofreading task.

The attention-improving effect of nature is so powerful it might even help kids with ADHD: they’ve been found to concentrate better after just spending 20 minutes in a park.

The outdo of nature’ might serve as a safe, inexpensive, widely accessible new tool … for managing ADHD symptoms,” researchers wrote.

13. Enhances performance on creative tasks after being outside.

One study found that people immersed in nature for four days boosted their performance on a creative problem-solving test by 50%.

14.Outdoor sessions may even help prevent cancer.

Research from Nippon Medical School in Tokyo shows nature walk changed the blood flow in the brain to a state of relaxation and amplified the number of natural killer cells the body produces to battle infection. How?

Our brain registers the flow of wind in the leaves, and the sound of the waves revitalizes a fatigued mind. The olfactory-provoking chemicals, phytoncides that trees naturally secrete, decreases stress hormones.

They can also be cancer-protective: the more forest around you, the lower the rates of lung, breast, kidney, uterine, prostate, and colon cancers.

 Preliminary studies suggested that spending time in nature — in forests, in particular — may stimulate the production of anti-cancer proteins.

The increase in the amount of these proteins that people get from being in the woods lingers in the body for up to seven days after the trip.

Studies in Japan, where “shinrin-yoku,” also known as “forest-bathing,” is said to be a form of preventative medicine, have also revealed that areas with greater forest coverage have lower mortality rates from a wide variety of cancers. 

15. Being in nature boosts our immune system.

The cellular activity related to a forest’s possible anti-cancer effects also indicates an enhanced immune system.

A 2010 review of research also supports the findings that suggest that forest environments have beneficial effects on human immune function.” 

16. Outdoor time is associated with a decreased risk of early death and speeds recovery after an illness

For residents in urban environments, nearby green space seems to be especially important. A Dutch study of 250,782 people showed a strong positive connection between health and having green space.

A follow-up study also found that a wide array of diseases were less prevalent in people who lived near green space. Other studies have made a direct connection between the amount of time spent in forests in relation to our general health and well-being.

Another recent study found in Environmental Health Perspectives magazine found the same connection: there is a 12% lower mortality rate with greater exposure to greenness. The greatest improvements were related to reduced risk of death from cancer, lung disease, and kidney disease.

In Summary

As we can see, there are so many benefits to spending time outdoors, being in nature. It provides refuge, inspiration, a place for reflection, and healing. It should be a part of our day-to-day lives. Science proves it. It is not only good for our health, but it can save our lives as well. So let’s go outside, take in the sun, take a deep breath, and bask ourselves in the healing of nature.