Does nature restore you? – Part 1

A few years ago now, I moved to London and one of my concerns about moving to London was that I would loose easy access to open green spaces.  I have always found that walking through natural green spaces which feel very open have always had a restorative affect on my mental health and general sense of well-being.  I know that now I live in London I am very lucky to live within walking distance of Blackheath, so I can still get my “nature top up”.  My reaction to nature, made me wonder if their is any scientific evidence of the benefits of nature on health.

A narrative review from Mount Royal University in Canada looked at how contact with nature could help the emotional & mental well-being of cancer survivors.  Researches were encouraged by findings that concluded nature could have a positive impact on the well-being of cancer survivors.

Gladwell et al  show that lunchtime walks in nature-based environments may provide a greater restorative effect and may improve essential recovery during night-time sleep, potentially enhancing physiological health.  While it may be difficult to take a nature-based walk at lunchtime, it is much easier in the summer to take one in the evening.

For those of you that may be thinking, “walking through parks is all very well for you Joanne, but where am I going to find the time for that!”.   Please read on…

In 201o researched in the UK looked at evidence from 1,250 people in 10 studies and found fast improvements in mood and self-esteem from green exercise.  (Green exercise is defined as activity such as walking, cycling, running, climbing etc in nature).   The study found the strongest impact was in young people and just five minutes of green exercises can boost mental health.

References

Ray H and Jakubec SL (2014) Nature based experiences and health of cancer survivors, Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice 20(4): 188 – 192

Gladwell, V.F.; Kuoppa, P.; Tarvainen, M.P.; Rogerson, M. A Lunchtime Walk in Nature Enhances Restoration of Autonomic Control during Night-Time Sleep: Results from a Preliminary Study. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2016, 13, 280.

Barton J and Pretty J (2010) What is the Best Dose of Nature and Green Exercise for Improving Mental Health? A Multi-Study Analysis Environ. Sci. Technol., 2010, 44 (10), pp 3947–3955

Related Posts

  • Smell the wellness

    I had always assumed that its just tradition that you buy flowers for somebody that is ill.  Speaking as a woman who loves flowers, its always nice to receive flowers but I had underestimated their power. Research completed by the American Society of Horticulture Science discovered that surgical patients exposed to flowers or plants in their recovery rooms have

    • lower blood pressure
    • lower heart rates
    • less pain
    • less anxiety
    • less fatigue
    When compared to patients who whose rooms have no foliage, flowers or plants.   In fact, patients who had plants in their room even reported more positive feelings and satisfaction about their rooms than those without plants. So clearly there is a lot of wisdom in the tradition of buying flowers for people when they are ill. Reference https://journals.ashs.org/horttech/view/journals/horttech/18/4/article-p563.xml

  • Migraines – part 1

    When is a headache not a headache?  When its a migraine.  Migraine is a complex condition with a wide variety of symptoms.  Migraines are the 3rd most common illness in the world!  For many people the main feature is a painful headache, but its way more than a headache, migranes are debilitating in a way headaches aren't - migranes are the 7th most disabling illness!   While there are no typical symptoms, sufferers can get disturbed vision, sensitivity to light, sound and smells, feeling sick and vomiting. Over the next couple of weeks, I want to explore natural ways what can help migrane sufferers. Butterbur Butterbut is a herbal hay fever remedy which scientific studies show prevents migraines.  Pitted against a placebo, a standardised extract of butterbut (Petasites Hybridus) significantly reduced the frequency of migraine attacks, with either no side-effects or just the odd bit of burping. References

    Steiner TJ, Stovner LJ, Birbeck GL. Migraine: the seventh disabler. The Journal of Headache and Pain. 2013;14(1):1. doi:10.1186/1129-2377-14-1.
     Lipton RB, Göbel H, Einhäupl KM, Wilks K, Mauskop A. Petasites hybridus root (butterbur) is an effective preventive treatment for migraine. Neurology. 2004 Dec 28;63(12):2240-4. PubMed PMID: 15623680.

  • Natrual Ways to Reduce Anxiety – Part 2

    Having explained what anxiety is, I want to look at how people can help themselves to reduce their anxiety levels. Whether you suffer from occasional anxious thoughts to a full blow anxiety disorder yoga can be helpful.  Once study found that women who practiced yoga twice a week for two months reduced their anxiety levels significantly. Another scientific study found that regular yoga was more effective than walking for improving the mood and anxiety levels in healthy people.  Current thinking is that Yoga may work by boosting the levels of the neurotransmitter GABA (gamma-aminobutryic acid) in the brain - which acts as an inhibitor in the brain reducing anxiety. References https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19341989 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20722471