Astonishing Stats: Daily Nature Walks Increase Health and Happiness by 77%

Have you ever heard the saying, “In every walk in nature one receives far more than one seeks”?

Recent studies have actually proven that taking daily walks in nature can have a profound impact on our physical and emotional well-being. This post will explore the recent study that has revealed that daily nature walks can increase health and happiness by 77%. We will look into all the amazing benefits of this simple, yet powerful, activity.

 

Study overview

Recently, a study conducted by the Journal of Environmental Psychology has revealed that daily nature walks can have an immense impact on both health and happiness. The study reveals that those who took part in the experiment (800 individuals) went on a daily walk in nature for 4 months and experienced an increase in both health and happiness of up to 77%.

Furthermore, the study found that nature walks reduced anxiety levels by an average of 25% and enhanced overall mental focus and concentration.

Nature walks even increased the participants’ creativity and improved their ability to problem-solve. Though these initial findings are promising, the team behind the study cautioned that additional research is needed to further explore the full potential of the benefits that nature walks have to offer.

But even just this evidence ought to be enough to get us up and walking, making it part of our daily routine.

 

The Physical and Mental benefits of walking in Nature

A daily walk in nature can do wonders for your health, Prolonged walks in nature over time can lower the concentration of cortisol (stress hormone), enhance our immune system (through the intake of photons released from trees), lower blood pressure and improve overall heart health as well as leaving you with a sense of calm.

Did you know that in many countries,New Zealand, Canada and the UK included, “green prescriptions” are now being widely used to treat physical conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, and lung diseases.

Walking in nature has also great benefits for depression and anxiety.

Clinicians in Japan have been recommending ‘shinrin yoku’, or ‘forest bathing’ since 1982, advising patients to get out and use the country’s 3,000 miles of woodland walks.

Plus, a walk in nature can give you a much-needed break from technology and the hustle and bustle of urban life. It’s important to disconnect from the modern world and enjoy the calming and healing power of nature.

A regular walk in nature can be a great way to build physical and mental resilience and improve overall well-being.

You can see that walking in general can have a truly positive impact on your overall health and in particular if you can get to those nature spaces.

Walking in the company of others can be a great way to get even more from this pleasant and rewarding form of exercise; however sometimes we may feel demotivated .. after all deciding to go for a walk alone – you always have the couch temptation.

Tips and benefits of group walking

One way to really level this up and make it become a positive habit to be cultivated over time is by joining a walking group. Here is why:

Deciding to join a walking group can really prompt an important change in your habits and help you, not only from a physical perspective but a social and emotional one as well.

Here’s why you should consider walking with other people:

• • Meet like-minded people.

It is said that you are the sum of the 5 persons you surround yourself with, so it really is important to make sure you are surrounding yourself with positive like-minded people that will support you even when you are having the “Oh! I don’t know!” moment. ( and don’t deny it we all do sometimes). Spend more time with positive people who share the same purpose to embrace healthy habits.

By joining a walking group you have the opportunity to do just that; meet like-minded people, who have the same vision and goals, and who are looking to make lifestyle changes, to improve their physical health and mental well-being.

You can learn from one another, share health-related tips and tricks, and experiences, provide emotional support whenever needed, and motivate each other to keep on going.

• • Find your accountability buddy

One of the difficulties we all face in our quest to start a healthy habit is staying accountable to our exercise; but when you know someone is relying on you to exercise together, it’s not that easy to skip that session. When you start to lose your motivation, there’ll always be someone there to encourage you and help you get back on track. And there’s research to support these statements. According to scientists from Anglia Ruskin University, people are more likely to stick to their exercise goals if they walk in groups.

• • Together you can spice it up.

Always maintaining the same walking routine for a long time can turn out to be counterproductive. Walking by yourself in the same place, at the same pace, and seeing the same people and landscape can lead to boredom and to stagnation when it comes to your progress. Things can significantly change for the better when you start walking in a group.

When you become a member of a group, you get to experience new things that make walking more challenging and rewarding. For instance, you can pick up the pace. When you’re alone you may tend to maintain a slower pace, but when you’re walking with others you’ll feel the need to keep up with the rest of the group. A change of terrain can also get you out of your comfort zone and make you push harder.

• • It’s Safer

Walking by yourself can be dangerous, particularly if you’re planning an evening stroll in a poorly-lit area or if you are in open nature and not familiar with the path. On the other hand, if you’re walking in a group, you won’t be worried about your safety. Moreover, in case you suddenly feel bad or have a medical emergency, there’ll immediately be somebody to help you.

 

Ideas For Making Nature Walks A Habit

• • Organize walking meetings

Have you ever thought of meeting your business partner and brainstorming new ideas whilst walking !! or maybe meet up with your friends for a lunchtime walk instead of a coffee and cake! I am sure you will notice the difference.

• • Keep Track of your Walks

If you want to make the most of your walks, it’s important to monitor your progress along the way. Tracking helps you know with accuracy how much you’re walking, and how much energy (and calories) you have consumed), set realistic targets based on your actual fitness level, and stay motivated to reach and surpass your fitness goals. And above all stay consistent.

There are many apps available to track your steps and try to reach 10.000 steps daily recommended by WHO

But as far as tracking is concerned, instead of actually tracking your steps, I prefer the “journaling” aspect.

• • Journaling

Journaling is a great way to actually raise your self-awareness of the benefits of walking consistently daily. I find journaling my walks combines the tracking of the more physical aspects and the emotional ones. For this journaling practice, I noted how I felt during the walk, what I saw, what I smelt, what I discovered, and most importantly how I felt when I finished the walk.

Last year in July I did a challenge called “nature dipping daily” and for one month I “journaled” my walks in the biophilic hub community, sometimes, a live, or a video or a photo. Sharing your daily walking experience not only enhances its benefits for yourself but it helps you stay committed and it inspires others.

• • Set realistic goals

As usual, if this is new for you start small, maybe 10 mins during your lunch break.  However as you grow into this habit step up your game, try to push a little more every day.

As previously mentioned finding an accountability partner is great as is signing up with a weekly walking group so that it becomes a fun outing.

And NEVER forget to reward yourself when you reach your milestones.

 

Conclusion:

Daily nature walks have many physical, emotional, and spiritual benefits that are backed by recent scientific studies. Taking a nature walk can give you more energy, reduce anxiety and stress, improve your overall mood, lift your spirits, and much more. Plus, adding in a group of friends is a great way to enjoy a nature walk and benefit from it emotionally and spiritually. Nature walks are a simple and effective way to become healthier and happier, so why not give them a try today?

If you’re ready to take the plunge and increase your health and happiness by 77%, take your first nature walk today and see the benefits for yourself.

If you feel like it, come share your walking experience in “nature dipping daily” part of our free circle community “thebiophilichub”  JOIN HERE.

Interested in learning more about greening our cities, maybe thinking of an urban walk… read more here