Could taking a walk on the wild side actually be good for your health?

Scientists seem to think so although maybe not quite the ‘wild side’ that Lou Reed had in mind in his 1970’s song.  Their interest in wild things is based more on the term ‘Biophilia Hypothesis’ which doesn’t have quite the same ring to it.  Simply put, it’s a theory that most humans have an innate desire to be in contact with nature and the natural world. Spending time in nature has been shown to negate the effects of stress and aid with recovery.  At the same time, research confirms the importance of physical activity in improving the way in which the body handles stress.  Exercise leads to changes in hormone responses and also impacts neurotransmitters in the brain, namely dopamine and serotonin which can effect behaviours and mood.   Combining both exercise and nature would therefore appear to be an excellent way of enhancing stress relief and recovery.  

WHAT THE STUDIES SHOW

Several recent studies have consistently shown that green exercise is more beneficial in relieving stress than exercise taken indoors.  The results indicated that all exercise (both indoor and out) has a stress-buffering impact but walking in nature was significantly more effective in reducing stress.

GET ACTIVE IN NATURE FOR THE BEST RESULTS

A study looked at three different levels of engagement with nature:  

– viewing nature through a window 

– presence of nearby nature, eg reading in a garden 

– active participation in nature such as trekking, gardening, cross-country running.

Again, results indicated that all three scenarios offered some level of stress reduction but the third scenario, active participation in nature, had the greatest positive effect on stress and self-esteem 

DOES THE TYPE OF ENVIRONMENT MATTER?

In terms of the type of green exercise environment, a recent study compared four different outdoor environments which included:

– a beach

– grassland area

– a riverside 

– heritage site

Interestingly, there was no significant difference reported by participants in the study between the various environments and overall the group indicated a single bout of green exercise improved stress by 18.4%

WHAT IF I DON’T HAVE ACCESS TO NATURE?

For those who do not have easy access to outdoor green space, there have been very positive results from research on simulated green exercise.  For example, researchers studied the impact on stress of exercising indoors while being exposed to images and sounds of nature.  The key finding of the study showed that simulated green environments in an indoor setting were more effective than both rest and indoor exercise in a typical gym setting, at recovering from a short period of induced acute stress.   

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR  WELLBEING IN MY WORKPLACE?

From the range of studies, we can conclude that there are many benefits to green exercise and in particular in terms of reducing and recovering from psychological stress. 

As it is a relatively recent area of study there is scope for more research but the findings to date indicate that promoting green exercise in the workplace is to be recommended as a means to reduce stress. 

At the same time, it is important not to dismiss the benefits of indoor exercise or simply being in nature as each is important for health and wellbeing but highlighting the additional benefits of combining both is ideal.

Since many workplaces are indoors, employers might think about ways of providing access to nature even in small areas or with pictures of nature and indoor plants. 

 

TRY OUT HILATES WITH YOUR TEAM 

For a unique experience in the great outdoors, we recommend Hilates; a combination of Hiking and Pilates.  Enjoy all the benefits of hiking in nature with stop-offs for Pilates movements along the way.  To find out more click here.

 

REFERENCES

Kellert, S.R., 1995. The biophilia hypothesis

Rogerson, M., Brown, D.K., Sandercock, G., Wooller, J.J. and Barton, J., 2016. A comparison of four typical green exercise environments and prediction of psychological health outcomes. Perspectives in public health

Wooller, J.J., Rogerson, M., Barton, J., Micklewright, D. and Gladwell, V., 2018. Can simulated green exercise improve recovery from acute mental stress?. Frontiers in psychology