Are you feeling anxious & stressed? – here’s how a walk in the park can help.
Catching a regular 30-minute walk in my local park at lunchtime has become my obsession. I’ve always been an Outdoors-type person but during the covid pandemic lockdowns, making sure I got outside at least once or twice a day became my ritual to keep me sane! Now, it is no less important and ensures that I take a break from my computer & desk, it allows me to stretch my legs (walking is a great form of exercise in itself), it frees my mind and being amongst Nature in a forest or park has its own unique Health Benefits which I’ll come onto later.
It's becoming more readily accepted that taking a regular walk can also help to ease some menopause and peri-menopausal symptoms. During the menopause women’s ovaries stop producing oestrogen – a hormone that regulates the female reproductive system. During this time (that usually lasts a few years), at least two thirds of menopausal women will experience some symptoms including anxiety and mood changes. Taking a walk in your local park is one way to help ease symptoms naturally and without HRT. A study in Korea that looked at the effects of a 12-week walking exercise programme found that the exercise improved physical and mental health in a group of 40 menopausal women.
Against the back drop that being among plants is good for us – it can help lower BP & heart rate - with their natural ability to cleanse the air we walk in by removing carbon dioxide and expelling oxygen; across the UK, a fairly new phenomenon from Japan is taking off – Tiny or Miyawaki forests, thus named after Dr Akira Miyawaki, the Japanese botanist whose work started them . Each forest is unique and is a dense, fast-growing native woodland, about the size of a tennis court. Grants are enabling local authorities to add these forests to their public parks. They’re not only a great home for wildlife but they’re a place for people to connect with and learn about nature.
According to People and Nature Surveys, led by Natural England, almost nine in 10 children & young people in England said that being in nature made them very happy. And four in 10 adults said they were spending more time in nature than before the covid-19 pandemic, with health and wellbeing cited as one of the main reasons for getting outside. Spending time in nature has been found to help with anxiety and depression, according to a ‘Nature & Mental Health’ report produced by mental health charity Mind. It also states that being outside in natural light can lift a person’s mood especially during the winter (see more on SAD). Often when you’re feeling down you tend to want to hide from the world. But heading outside into the fresh air can make us feel better.
An added dose of sunshine is the cherry on the cake helping to increase our Vitamin D count – what’s not to like! 🌞
Why not join me in a quest to improve your health & fitness by going for a regular walk in your local park. To find out more about how Exercise and simple Lifestyle changes CAN HELP IMPROVE your overall health & wellbeing, Book a free 15-minute Introductory call HERE.
To find out more about SIDHWA HEALTH- NATURE’S WAY! and the services we offer, please visit our website sidhwahealth.co.uk HERE
1 . Korea study - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7558547/