For Better Health, Scientists Advise Dose of Two Hours Of Nature A Week
Living close to nature is often associated with better physical and mental health. Also, it is known to help in getting perspective on life circumstances, reducing stress, and enjoying quality time with friends and family. And it is now backed by a scientific study which has figured out that spending at least 2 hours close to nature can eventually improve health and wellbeing.
The study was led by researchers at the University of Exeter, U.K. and was published in Scientific Reports. They considered ‘nature’ includes a variety of settings. Even town parks, woodlands, country parks, and beaches were considered in the list. It also stated that the two-hour threshold can be achieved by paying a single visit, or several smaller visits with a similar positive effect on mind, body, and soul. For example, some people preferred taking a single long walk while others visited shorter regular visits to nearby parks.
The research included 20,000 participants from England and found that the positive effect achieved by paying visits of more than two hours a week applied to both men and women. Also, it can be attained by humans of any age group, ethnicity, occupational group, income-bracket, and race. It is interesting to note that these positive effects displayed no difference in people with chronic diseases or disabilities.
Health condition of the participants was categorised from "very bad" to "very good". And for the assessment of their wellbeing, they were ranked their life satisfaction levels on a ten-point scale.
Also, the researchers noted that people spending 1-119 minutes close to nature, reported no more likely good health or high well-being than those who reported 0 mins. However, individuals reporting more than 120 minutes of exposure to nature reported consistently higher levels of both health and well-being than those who reported no exposure.
The rate of mental health issues is at the higher side for people living in cities. It might seem arduous for people living in high-density areas to have access to natural settings near their homes. However, this study proposes that even visiting a nearby community park can provide similar health and wellbeing benefits as compared to a distant natural site.
The study also has certain limitations as the data was observational and cross-sectional; and thus, notwithstanding the same pattern holding for those with a long-term illness/disability.
Another limitation linked to the study was the researcher’s estimate of weekly exposure. Duration of the visit was only noted of a single random visit in the previous week, they assumed that at the population level this was representative of all visits.
The findings of this study offer valuable support to health practitioners which can now recommend patients to spend more time close to nature for their better health and wellbeing. Also, a little time in the lap of nature with family and friends can result in improved bonds with them.
