4 Ways that Nature Boosts Your Health
Thursday, February 23, 2017
Man has always recognized the healing power from time
immemorial. Before the advent of modern medicine, man relied on nature to
supply his medicinal herbs. The ancients also recognized the health benefits of
spending time immersed in nature. A study done by the PLOS journal showed that
people with mental illness that spent time in nature improved by as much as 50%
after a month. There are different ways in which you can benefit from the
healing power of nature.
1. Mental
health benefits
Being out in nature relieves the mind from the
pressures of everyday life. The mind is not subjected to stressor factors like
ringing phones, traffic jams, and work meetings. Instead, the mind is free to
explore other sounds like tweeting birds, buzzing insects, and fluttering
leaves. Outdoor meetings are found to be more productive as participants are
more upbeat and willing to consider their place in influencing the future.
2. Immune
boost
The Japanese discovered the immune boosting properties
of nature long ago. The Japanese have a practice of shirin-yoku which roughly
means ‘forest bath.’ This is walking in
a forested area. This has been linked to phytoncides that are released by
trees, which have antimicrobial properties. Practitioners of forest bathing
have been found to experience lower blood pressure and better parasympathetic
activity.
3. Greater
motivation to exercise
The Journal of Physical Activity & Health did a
study comparing those who exercise outdoors and those who exercise in the gym.
The study on 11,600 people showed that people who exercised outdoors had twice
as much motivation to exercise outdoors. Their routines were also found to be
twice as effective.
People who spend more time outdoors are found to be
more physically active which makes them reap huge health benefits. Exposure to sunlight boosted levels of
vitamin D which is vital for strong bones.
The air in forests, parks or beaches has also been found to be cleaner
than the air in cities and other built up areas.
4. Faster
healing
Medical studies on healing patients have shown that those who come in contact with nature heal faster than those who spend healing time in
sterile rooms surrounded by chrome, steel, and concrete. Medical doctors did a
study in the 80’s and it showed that patients who had windows looking out to nature
healed at a faster rate than those who had rooms that faced walls. This was
confirmed by studies that showed patients who saw nature based images like
murals, aquariums, nature paintings and the result was they had faster rates of healing.
Nature is God's gift to man in so many ways. We just have to tap into it's natural resources and discover the many benefits it provides.
Nature is God's gift to man in so many ways. We just have to tap into it's natural resources and discover the many benefits it provides.
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