Health Benefits Of Nature

One of the many benefits of Bridgeway of Bensenville is, no doubt, our beautiful grounds. The ability to step out into nature definitely offers a serene atmosphere and environment. But do you know about the health benefits of nature?

Here are two to think about the next time you open your door.

Stress

Spending time in nature can help lower your stress levels.

A recent study by Alan Ewert and Yun Chang found that “visiting natural environments can be beneficial in reducing both physical and psychological stress levels.” In comparison to other people in the study who did exercise not in nature settings, the nature group had significant lower stress levels.

Killer Cells

Killer cells sound scary, but they’re actually part of your body’s immune system. They play an important role in preventing tumors and virally infected cells. Researchers found that spending three days and two nights in forests – forest bathing – improved natural killer activity along with other anti-cancer protein expression.

While this study took place over an extended period in the forest, it gives us another reason to spend more time in nature to improve our health.

Mood

Have you ever gone for a walk and come back feeling better than you did when you set out? Well there’s a reason for that. According to Harvard Health Publishing, a 2015 study showed that after a nature walk for ninety minutes, the prefrontal cortex, which is active during ruminating thoughts, was showing lower activity levels than those who had done a similar walk in a urban setting. Apparently, even just spending time outdoors can lower blood pressure and cortisol, which helps you calm your flight-or-fight response.

The health benefits of nature are abundant. Thankfully, our wonderful residents at Bridgeway have first-class tickets to this wonderful resource.

Do you spend time in nature?

Please share in the comments below.