We all are very well aware of the benefits of walking 10,000 steps a day. Maybe, just a reminder, among them are decreasing anxiety and depression, improving blood pressure, reducing the risk of a heart attack, stabilizing the blood glucose, improving sleep, clearing up the mind, and even promoting weight loss.
But nowadays, it looks like a new recommendation might be on the rise. As people spend more time indoors since the pandemic started, the new advice many researchers suggest is spending more time in nature such as local parks or other natural environments or walking in the forests which won from the Japanese a special poetic name “forest bathing”. Not surprisingly, the growing body of research shows that spending time in nature improves sleep, increases levels of vitamin D, strengthens the immune system, and reduces stress. But what is more interesting besides these expected benefits, it may also improve your short term memory, reduce inflammation, improve vision, inspire creativity, develop a deep sense of spirituality and even increase happiness.
Is there any recommended dose of nature? Yes, it turns out there is. A study conducted by the University of Michigan found that 20 minutes outside a day can lower the stress and improve your mood. All you need is just to take a 20 minutes walk in your neighborhood or sit calmly in the nearest park.
The other study of 20,000 people conducted by a team from European Centre for Environment & Human Health at the University of Exeter, similar to the previous study, suggests it should be two hours per week. In this study, two hours per week was really a boundary, as those people who met the threshold were more likely to report feeling good and better psychological well-being compared to those who didn’t.
The good news is that the research also shows that it does not matter how you get your dose of nature - spaced over several visits by taking a short walk during the week or all at once by let’s say on weekend. All that matters is time you spend. So make your well-being one of your priorities and build two hours in nature in your weekly routine.
Photo by Bruno Passos
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