Whether connecting with nature through walks in the woods or alongside a river, or even better, working out in a group, your physical, mental and social wellbeing, as well as that of your friends and colleagues, will be improved. Thus, reducing your need for the NHS!
Here are snippets from 3 research studies 🌳👩🏽🎓🤸🏽;
🌳👩🏽🎓🤸🏽 Immersion in natural settings promotes higher intrinsic aspirations, related to prosocial value orientations, and lower extrinsic aspirations, which can lead to more prosocial actions such as generous decision-making (Weinstein et al. 2009). This effect of immersion in a natural context was also found for helping behavior (Guéguen and Stefan 2014). Thus, being in contact with nature could be associated with not only personal well-being but also social wellbeing.
Outdoor natural environments may facilitate adherence to physical activity, through lower levels of perceived effort, stress and mental fatigue, leading to improved mood (e.g. reducing tension, anger and depression), self-esteem and perceived health state. (Gladwell et al. 2013, Haluza et al. 2014)
Contact with nature, through the practice of physical activity such as green exercise, may thus be also considered a path to more long-term changes in attitudes and relationships with nature and the environment (Pretty et al. 2003). https://www.researchgate.net/publication/308099577_Green_Exercise_Health_and_Well-Being
🌳👩🏽🎓🤸🏽 Humans possess an innate tendency to seek connections with nature and other forms of life. Edward O. Wilson introduced and popularized the hypothesis in his book, Biophilia. He defines biophilia as “the urge to affiliate with other forms of life”.
The benefits of cultivating biophilia in society can be seen around the world. In Japan for example the practice of Shinrin-yoku or “forest bathing”, the experience of walking in or being immersed in a forest, is said to offer measurable health benefits such as “lower concentrations of cortisol, lower pulse rate, lower blood pressure, greater parasympathetic nerve activity, and lower sympathetic nerve activity”. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19568835/
🌳👩🏽🎓🤸🏽 Urban developers are becoming more aware of the need to incorporate nature. Biophilic design is an approach to architecture that seeks to connect building occupants more closely to nature. Biophilic designed buildings incorporate things like natural lighting and ventilation, natural landscape features and other elements for creating a more productive and healthy built environment for people. Hospitals show improved recovery times if patients can see or connect with the natural environment. http://www.designcurial.com/news/biophilic-design-and-architecture—10-of-the-best-biophilic-buildings-4527750/8
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