Come back to nature to put stress at bay

SATURDAY, April 13, 2019 (HealthDay News) – A small daily dose of nature can be the perfect prescription for stress.

An eight-week study found that people who spent at least 20 minutes a day in places where they felt connected to nature had significantly lower levels of cortisol, a stress hormone.

This so-called "pill for nature" could provide an inexpensive antidote against the adverse effects of urbanization on health and for an indoor lifestyle dominated by on-screen visualization, said researchers.

"We know that spending time in nature reduces stress, but until now, we did not know what was enough, how often to do it, or even what kind of experience in nature we would benefit, "said lead author and badociate professor, MaryCarol Hunter. She is studying the social, psychological and ecological aspects of sustainable urban design at the University of Michigan.

The results were recently published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology.

The study involved 36 city dwellers. "Participants were free to choose the time, duration and location of their experience in nature, which was defined as being outside of what, in the opinion of the participant, gave them the impression of interacting with nature, "said Hunter, a press release.

"There were some constraints to minimize the factors known to influence stress: take the pill for nature in broad daylight, do not do aerobic exercise, and avoid the use of social media, of course. Internet, phone calls, conversations and reading, "she explained.

For best results, you should spend 20 to 30 minutes at least three times a week, sitting or walking in a place conducive to nature discovery, said Hunter.

This approach could offer a free and natural remedy for relieving stress to some people.

"Health practitioners can use our results as an evidence-based rule of thumb to decide what to prescribe in a pill prescription for nature," Hunter said. "It provides the first estimates of the impact of nature's experiences on stress levels in the context of normal everyday life." He breaks new ground by addressing some of the complexities of measuring an effective dose of stress. nature."

More information

The National Recreation and Park Association has more to say about the health benefits of green spaces.