I wrote about the healing power of Nature three years ago before the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the shutdown of life as we knew it. Since then, many of us have found relief from isolation by spending time in Nature. RV sales went through the roof, and that lust of mine to purchase a sprinter van quickly vanished as the prices skyrocketed out of my price range. They never were in my price range, but I digress. We couldn’t go to dinner, or school, attend church services, or attend a movie or a live show. Life was on hold. As a result of these restrictions, people went outside. I remember feeling lucky that I spend all my time outside riding my bikes; since this was an accepted activity, I was golden. The pandemic didn’t affect my lifestyle as it related to my leisure or fitness time. However, I noticed that every park, trail, lake, river, and mountain top was loaded with newbies getting out into Nature. It was a natural (pun intended) and deliberate decision to get outside for sanity and pleasure. It worked, and here is why.
Researchers have been studying the effects of Nature on us for more than two decades, and there is some exciting news to share. Mathew White of the European Centre for Environment & Human Health at the University of Exeter studied a group of 20,000 people and the amount of time spent in Nature. His team found that people who spend two hours a week in green spaces, which included local parks or other natural environments, were more likely to report good health and psychological well-being than those who don’t. The total of two hours per week was a critical time frame. There were no benefits for people that spent less than two hours outdoors. This study was impressive as it spanned different occupations, ethnic groups, people from poor and affluent areas, and people with chronic illnesses and disabilities. This study by White is only the latest in a rapidly expanding area of research that finds Nature has potent effects on people’s physical, mental, and emotional health.
Richard Louv, the San Diego journalist and the author of the book, Last Child in the Woods, 2005 was the one to coin the term Nature Deficit Disorder. In 2005 he stated there were about sixty good studies on the effects of Nature on our health. As of 2020, he notes there are over one thousand quality studies that point to the benefits of Nature. He states, “Nature is not only nice to have, but it’s a have-to-have for physical health and cognitive functioning.”
Before I get into the research, let me describe the type of research performed in these nature studies. These study designs compare two groups of people. The first group studied is the people living in or around Nature and the second group is those living in urban areas. These are observational studies, not the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that I typically read about in healthcare. Most of these studies have shown that time in Nature is an antidote for stress.
Here is a list of the benefits: It can lower blood pressure and stress hormone levels, reduce nervous system arousal, enhance immune system function, increase self-esteem, reduce anxiety, and improve mood. Spending time in Nature has been known to decrease the effects of attention deficit disorder (ADD) and aggression in children. And most importantly, the research has shown that being in Nature can reduce feelings of isolation, promote calmness, and lift patients’ moods.
Japanese researchers have studied “forest bathing,” which is the term used for walking in the forest. They describe how a walk in the forest can positively stimulate all five senses. They strongly support that the aerosols of the forest inhaled during a walk can elevate the levels of immune system cells that fight tumors and infections. These natural killers (NK) cells are stimulated in the body by exposing subjects to essential oils from cedars.
Another study demonstrated that when participants were exposed to nature scenes, their brain centers linked with empathy and love lit up. I find this fact has hit home with me as my clinic is filled with photography of outdoor nature scenes, and the patients enjoy the scenes and will typically comment on their calming quality.
Brooke Moran, a professor of recreation and outdoor education at Western Colorado University, states that there are studies from all over the world that show that outdoors equals health. Studies vary about how much time it takes to reap the benefits, and with only fifteen minutes spent in Nature, there is a reduction in cortisol. Cortisol is the body’s primary stress hormone.
Lastly, the heartwarming story “The Hospital Window: A short story” is worth the read. It is a story of compassion and shared happiness. Two terminally ill men are sharing a room in the hospital. One man is in bed by the window. He sits up in bed each day and describes the scene outside. He describes beautiful scenes of the lake, the boats, the kids playing, and the picnics. For several weeks this hour of describing the scene unfolding beneath them was a highlight for each of them. Then one night, the man in the bed by the window passes away peacefully in his sleep. When the time was right, the man in the other bed asks to be placed by the window. When he gets enough strength to prop himself up on his elbows, he does not see a park with a lake but a wall. He asks the nurse why he would do such a thing in the world. The nurse replied I don’t know, he was blind, and maybe he just wanted to encourage you.
This story ties in the healing and positive effects of nature whether it occurs in person or in our minds. Get outside and feel all your senses in the outdoors.
John Seivert is a doctor of physical therapy and he has been practicing for 34 years. He opened Body Logic Physical Therapy in Grass Valley in 2001. He has been educating physical therapists since 1986. Contact him at bodylogic2011@ yahoo.com
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