Green exercise is a term I came across just this week. Researchers at Englands University of Essex use the term to describe a phenomena they say produces a positive effect on physical, psychological and emotional health and has been shown to improve self-esteem, bring on positive moods, reduce blood pressure and burn added calories.
A study out of the Landscape and Human Health Laboratory at the University of Illinois suggests theres a scientific reason some of us feel such an improved state of mind when we exercise outside compared to when we stay indoors. Daily tasks like driving, typing at a computer, proof reading, writing an exam, etc. require directed attention, which leaves us tired and often stressed.
Richard Louv, the American writer who gave a name to the perils of being alienation from the natural world with the term, nature deficit disorder, said we dont fully understand the effects of the natural world on humans but can see its benefits. He cited a U.S. study that put adults in a gym on a treadmill and other adults in the woods on a trail. The participants burned comparable calories, but those who ran outside became healthier, said Louv, citing lower blood pressure and psychological health.
Its hard to explain why that happens but that is something specific to their experience in nature.
Twitter: @MHStewart
