Spending time in nature can make you feel better -- and all it takes is five minutes a day.
Here in Maine, where my husband Jeff and I live, the weather turns quickly from snow and frost to summer-like sunshine. We’ve been making the most of all these beautiful days with long morning walks along the lake near our house, and we’ve been feeling better than we have in ages.
Turns out, we’re not the only ones. An earlier study shows that exercise can help cure depression and anxiety, but it looks like where you exercise can play a big part, too. Researchers from the University of Essex report that “green activities” such as walking, cycling, and gardening in an outdoors environment can be a major mood boost—and, surprisingly, the effect can be felt in as little as five minutes a day.
The researchers looked at data from ten existing studies related to exercise, mental health, and the outdoors, analyzing the answers of 1,252 different people. They discovered that the greatest change in attitude was likely in young people and those suffering from forms of mental illness, and that just five minutes of outdoors activity could boost self-esteem in anyone. While any outdoors location seemed to work, those near bodies of water seemed to be most beneficial.
If you’re not sure where to find a green spot to exercise near your home, the web can help. Check out Nature Rocks’ “find nature” search, or find walking or biking trails in your area by searching on Trails.com, then get on out there. Even if you don’t have much time to spare, you’re sure to find an extra spring in your step when you head back inside.