A resident of Westbury, NY, Valerie Varnuska enjoys the arts, especially opera and dance. Also someone who likes getting in tune with nature, Valerie Varnuska spends her leisure time outdoors near her Westbury, NY, home.
While many people think of walking or hiking outdoors as a way to stay physically fit, nature walks also have a remarkable impact on our mental health, according to a new study. University of Michigan (UoM) researchers reported that taking nature walks, especially with a group, results in decreased levels of depression and stress, and improves mental health and overall well-being. Interestingly, the people who reported the most significant mood boost from walking outdoors were those who recently had experienced high-stress life events, like divorce, death of a loved one, or serious illness.
Published in the journal Ecopsychology, the UoM study included nearly 2,000 people who participated in England's Walking For Health initiative, which organizes more than 3,000 walks each week around the country. Researchers compared the self-reports of people who participated in group nature walks to people who did not participate in such activities. Walking is an inexpensive, low-risk, and accessible form of exercise that is a very powerful stress reliever, wrote the study's senior author, Sara Warber.
While many people think of walking or hiking outdoors as a way to stay physically fit, nature walks also have a remarkable impact on our mental health, according to a new study. University of Michigan (UoM) researchers reported that taking nature walks, especially with a group, results in decreased levels of depression and stress, and improves mental health and overall well-being. Interestingly, the people who reported the most significant mood boost from walking outdoors were those who recently had experienced high-stress life events, like divorce, death of a loved one, or serious illness.
Published in the journal Ecopsychology, the UoM study included nearly 2,000 people who participated in England's Walking For Health initiative, which organizes more than 3,000 walks each week around the country. Researchers compared the self-reports of people who participated in group nature walks to people who did not participate in such activities. Walking is an inexpensive, low-risk, and accessible form of exercise that is a very powerful stress reliever, wrote the study's senior author, Sara Warber.
