Just Two Hours A Week In Nature

JUST TWO HOURS A WEEK IN NATURE By Shawn Radcliffe

Recent research has found clear evidence home were just as effective as a longer hike on that going for a hike can help your health. the weekend at a park.

But how much time in nature do we need

to be healthier? A group led by researchers The research also points out that this is just in the United Kingdom tried to answer that a first step toward being able to recommend question, in what they describe as a first step people to spend a certain amount of time each toward coming up with a nature version of week in nature while another research further national physical activity guidelines. shows that even small bouts in nature can provide health benefits. Researchers surveyed more than 19,000 people in the United Kingdom about the In one study, people who exercised for just recreational time they spent in nature during five minutes in nature saw boosts to their selfthe past week, along with their self-reported esteem and mood. Some of the health benefits health and well-being. of nature are due to people getting more physical activity when they are outside. They found out that people who spent at least 120 minutes a week in nature saw a boost in A very important part of the research their mental and physical health, compared to interestingly shows that even sitting still people who didn’t spend any time in nature. in nature can improve health, providing a break from hours of mentally tiring “directed The researchers say the size of the health attention” — time spent focused on our work, benefits was similar to what people would get our computer screen, driving, etc. These by meeting the guidelines for physical activity. benefits, though, only show up if you put It didn’t matter how or where people racked down your smartphone and give nature your up the 120 minutes; many short walks near full attention