Since 2010, Hazel Kudera has served as the president of NYC Healthcare Staffing, a provider of personnel services for medical and healthcare companies in New York and New Jersey. In her free time, Hazel Kudera enjoys nature trips.

In this age of technology, most people, especially younger ones, spend more time indoors with their gadgets. However, studies have shown that the human body and brain can benefit from a few hours in nature. University of Utah researcher David Strayer said interaction with nature results in a healthier body and mind. Several studies also concluded that nature trips can help reduce stress.

In Japanese-led research, participants were divided into two groups: one that walked in the urban center, and one that walked in the forest. Both groups covered the same distance and difficulty.

According to the results, the group that walked in the forest showed lower heart rates but higher heart rate variability. This indicates that they were more relaxed, less anxious, less stressed, and in better moods compared to the group that walked in the urban center. These results were similar to a Finnish study that found that urban residents who spent at least 20 minutes walking in an urban park or woodland experienced less stress than those who strolled in urban centers.