Nature Walks Reduce Stress
Brain-based imaging shows positive changes.
If you’re interested in nature activities like walking or hiking, be sure to take advantage of the relaxation and rejuvenation rewards and not just the physical benefits, since nature walks reduce stress.
Research shows measurable positive changes in brain regions related to stress after a 1-hour nature walk in contrast with a 1-hour urban walk. This shows a causal link, according to findings in Molecular Psychiatry (2022; doi:10.1038/s41380-022-01720-6). “The results [of our research] support the previously assumed positive relationship between nature and brain health, but this is the first study to prove the causal link,” said Simone Kühn, head of the Lise Meitner Group for Environmental Neuroscience. “Interestingly, the brain activity after the urban walk in these regions remained stable and did not show increases, which argues against a commonly held view that urban exposure causes additional stress.”
Max Planck Institute researchers in Berlin, Germany, suggest that nature walks reduce stress and may be helpful as a preventive measure against mental strain and potential disease.
See also: Stress Physiology
Shirley Eichenberger-Archer, JD, MA
Shirley Eichenberger-Archer, JD, MA, is an internationally acknowledged integrative health and mindfulness specialist, best-selling author of 16 fitness and wellness books translated into multiple languages and sold worldwide, award-winning health journalist, contributing editor to Fitness Journal, media spokesperson, and IDEA's 2008 Fitness Instructor of the Year. She's a 25-year industry veteran and former health and fitness educator at the Stanford Prevention Research Center, who has served on multiple industry committees and co-authored trade books and manuals for ACE, ACSM and YMCA of the USA. She has appeared on TV worldwide and was a featured trainer on America's Next Top Model.
