Nature is a free gift that we all have access to. And it can do a lot more than we will ever, fully understand.
How does spending time in nature impact our health?
Spending time in nature really can impact our health. How? That’s a big question the world is still trying to answer. But there’s a lot we do know — over the years research has uncovered many proven benefits of spending time in nature. Not only is it an essential mood booster, but it’s great for our physical health, too. As humans, we need exposure to green spaces, fresh air, and natural sunlight. This need is wired into our DNA. The evidence supporting this continues to stack up with new studies emerging almost every day. But how far beyond simply boosting your mood does this evidence really go? The answer is far.
These are just a few of the scientifically proven physical and mental benefits of nature. If you want to know more — try it for yourself. Get out into nature and feel the benefits it provides, soak in the nourishment, and most of all enjoy the world that’s always around us in every moment.
Lower blood pressure
Recent research into the therapeutic effects of grounding exercises in nature, such as forest bathing and earthing, shows that spending time in nature is one of the fastest ways to lower blood pressure. It might sound crazy – but Japanese researchers have found that simply being in nature and connecting with it through our senses can drastically improve our blood pressure and reduce
“Recent research into the therapeutic effects of grounding exercises in nature, such as forest bathing and earthing, shows that spending time in nature is one of the fastest ways to lower blood pressure.“
the risk of heart-related disease. Exposure to nature naturally calms our body and mind and reduces our levels of anxiety — and this not only improves our mental health but physically lowers our blood pressure, too.
Enhanced cell activity and anti-cancer proteins
These same Japanese researchers also found that immersing ourselves in nature enhances our bodies natural killer cells, which help fight off infections and cancer. This increase in cell activity also shows enhanced immune function and the expression of anti-cancer proteins. These findings indicate that time in nature could not only lower our risk of heart disease but may also lower our risk of cancer as well as other diseases.
Enhanced immune function
The correlation between nature and a boost in our body’s natural killer cell activity also leads to a correlation between nature and improved immune function. Although the direct relationship between being in nature and the physiological changes that occur is not completely yet understood, the evidence confirming that something is going on is piling up, and quickly. Researcher Ming Kuo believes that nature has a multitude of natural ingredients that act like a multivitamin providing us with all sorts of nutrients we need. Exposure to nature causes the body to go into “rest and digest mode.” There is a staggering amount of research that shows that the demands of today’s world see our body spending a lot of time in fight or flight mode (much more than it should). In this mode, our bodies shut down everything nonessential to our survival in order to ‘fight’, most important
“When we’re in nature our body feels most calm and devotes its resources to long-term investments that aid in the growing, reproducing and building of the immune system.”
importantly our immune system. Luckily, nature offers a cure. When we’re out in nature our body feels most calm and devotes its resources to long-term investments that aid in the growing, reproducing, and building of the immune system. So just by spending time in nature, you can help your body naturally regenerate and recover and spend more time in its preferred “rest and digest mode”.
Significantly higher psychological well-being
Simply being in nature, breathing antimicrobial compounds emitted from trees and plants, and allowing our bodies to rest and recover can drastically increase our mood, lower anxiety and strengthen our emotional well-being. Not only are endorphins released when spending time in nature, but research shows it also reduces levels of the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline, which have been utilised in many cases to help in the treatment of depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions.
It’s clear that nature has an unknown hold over our bodies and health. The magic is there, and the power it holds is limitless. Spending as little as two hours in nature each week can start to elicit these benefits on your health and well-being. The more time you spend in nature, the healthier, happier, and more energised you’ll feel. We absolutely need nature. And the evidence shows.
We absolutely need nature. And the evidence shows.
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