Green Exercise Heals the Mind

Exercising, even for just five minutes, in a “green space,” such as a park or trail, can boost your mental health, according to researchers in the U.K.¹

They looked at evidence from 1,250 people in 10 studies and found significant improvements in mood and self-esteem after just minutes of such activities as walking, gardening, cycling, fishing, boating, horse riding and farming. In each study, mood and self-esteem were measured using two widely accepted assessment scales. All types of green exercise led to improvements in mental health indicators.

Most surprising was that the largest effect was seen within five minutes! After that, increased green exercise continued to add benefit but with decreasing returns.

The health changes – physical and mental – were particularly dramatic in the young and the mentally ill. Interestingly, an even greater effect was observed when the activity took place in an area near water, such as a lake or river.

Study leader Jules Pretty, a researcher at the University of Essex, said those who were generally inactive, stressed, and/or mentally ill would probably benefit the most from “green exercise. Employers, for example, could encourage staff in stressful workplaces to take a short walk at lunchtime in the nearest park to improve mental health.” He also said exercise programs outdoors could benefit youth offenders.

Once again, we have solid evidence that even a short period of green exercise can provide a low cost and drug-free therapy to help improve mental wellbeing. Anyone experiencing depression should be certain to add this kind of activity to whatever treatment or self-help regimen they have chosen.

Other powerful tools for helping to heal from depression, sadness and grief are presented on “Escape from Depression,” a two CD program for learning how to use your mind, meditation, imagery, autosuggestion and affirmations to speed your recovery.

For a set of effective imagery tools for dealing with loss of any kind, “Accepting Change and Moving On” can also be downloaded or purchased on CD.