Outdoor Time in Green Spaces May Be Good for Pain
Exposure to nature could help people find relief.
More fitness programming is available in outdoor spaces these days. Interestingly, studies show that green settings offer more than just additional places to be active—being outdoors may help people who are experiencing pain.
Researchers from the University of Adelaide in South Australia investigated how and why green-space exposure may improve pain outcomes. Their research review found that time spent in green spaces was linked with lower stress levels and better mental health, conditions associated with pain. Also, when people are in green, outdoor settings, they’re exposed to environmental microbiomes, phytoncides (antimicrobial compounds derived from plants), negative air ions, natural sights and sounds, and sunlight. Studies suggest that green spaces also facilitate physical and social activity.
For all of these reasons, study authors conclude that increasing access to green spaces may help people cope with chronic pain. Read the full study in Environmental Research (2020; 187 [109641]).
See also: Green Exercise: How It Benefits You
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.
