Will two hours in the park be the next 10,000 steps?
As people spend more time indoors, a mountain of scientific research says spending time in nature is critical to health and increases longevity. This means you need to be in fresh air, under trees and away from cars and concrete – on a regular basis. And no, the Peloton does not count.
‘There is an urgent need in science and on the gut to enhance the nature experience. This field is just exploding, ”says Gretchen Daily, a professor of environmental science at Stanford University.
The benefits have been clear to scientists for some time, but the pandemic has made the matter more urgent. The physical and emotional toll that the virus has taken, especially in urban areas with little green space, has galvanized doctors, researchers and others to exploit the therapeutic effects of nature.
Spending time in the forest – a practice that the Japanese call “forest bath” – is strongly linked to lower blood pressure, heart rate and stress hormones and reduced anxiety, depression and fatigue.