"Our environment shapes our psychological well-being. This fact is often overshadowed by a focus on diagnosis, therapy, and medication. But maybe some of the secrets of good mental health are simpler than we thought. In 2022, a review of research looked at whether the setting in which we exercise matters for how we feel. The findings suggest it does. Natural settings help more"
"Across a range of experimental studies, people experienced better psychological outcomes when they engaged in physical activity in natural outdoor environments rather than urban ones. The benefits include lower anxiety and reduced anger, along with increases in energy, positive engagement, and overall affect. When researchers pooled data from studies, the effects remained consistent: natural settings showed moderate to large improvements in anxiety, fatigue, positive affect, and vigor. There was also a smaller but still positive effect on symptoms of depression."
Physical activity in natural outdoor environments yields larger reductions in anxiety and anger and greater increases in energy, positive engagement, and overall affect compared with equivalent activity in urban settings. Pooled study data show moderate-to-large improvements in anxiety, fatigue, positive affect, and vigor, with smaller but positive effects on depressive symptoms. The social context of exercise, such as whether activity is done alone or with others, can alter the size of benefits. Natural spaces reduce noise, traffic, and visual clutter and allow attention to soften. Public health programmes should prioritise access to green spaces for mental health.
Read at Psychology Today
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