A Walk in the Park

Nature’s Healing Powers

What are the

physical benefits of

a walk?

Walking is a popular way to help maintain a healthy bodyweight It helps to prevent osteoporosis and strengthens your bones Walking at a brisk pace will improve cardiovascular health by training your heart and lungs to work more efficiently When you walk regularly, you can reduce blood pressure Walking will improve your energy level and can help to reduce fatigue

What are the newly discovered mental health benefits of a walk

in nature?

• A new stress reduction therapy, largely developed by Japanese researchers, is known as Shinrin-Yoku,. In English, we call it Forest Bathing. It began in the 1980s when an ancient forest, traditionally used by the locals as a place of rest, was being looked at for development

• Researchers began finding the proof that nature brings us stress relief

So What is Forest Bathing?

• Forest therapists have found that experiencing nature using the five senses is most effective

Sight:

• Looking at nature relaxes our brains

• Nature provides us with views that bring us tranquility

Sound:

• Trees often muffle sounds of our busy world full of traffic sounds, machinery, and crowds which can cause us stress

• The soft sounds of water, wildlife such as birds and insects buzzing about soothe us

Smell:

• Plant oil vapor can increase your brain’s production of chemicals that calm us – evergreen trees (Christmas trees) are particularly effective

• Plants can also remove air pollutants which have negative effects on people such as anxiety, depression, aggression and fatigue

Touch:

• Touching plants, soil, and animals reconnects us with nature

• While walking, we touch the ground with our feet – natural surfaces can be more comfortable and less stressful than concrete.

Taste: • Highly processed foods, common in fast food

diets, can affect your mood in a negative way

• While whole foods, can affect your mood in a positive way

• Taste and appreciate natural foods if you get hungry during or after your walk! Pick up an apple instead of a bag of chips …

Be Mindful of your Surroundings

• Japanese therapists have shown that Forest Bathing is most effective when participants use their five senses and think about those experiences

• When you walk, take time to appreciate what you …

• See

• Hear

• Smell

• Touch

• Taste

Are you ready to start walking?

• Take a washroom break first

• Grab some weather appropriate clothing, shoes and a water bottle if needed

• Get ready to give your brain a rest, boost your happiness and get some exercise while you enjoy the natural world at the park

• And please leave your headphones at home – the park has music of its own!