"Being outdoors can trigger measurable changes inside your body from lowering stress hormones, easing blood pressure and even improving your gut health. You don't have to hike for hours to feel these benefits as maximum impact happens after just 20 minutes, so even a lunchtime walk to the park and a sandwich on a bench a few times a week can benefit your body and mind."
"When you see green trees, smell pine and hear gentle rustling leaves or the sound of birdsong, your autonomic nervous system - a network of nerves controlling unconscious processes - responds instantly. This can happen on a visit to the local park. "We see changes in the body such as a lowering of blood pressure and heart rate variability so your heart beats slower," says Baroness Kathy Willis, a biodiversity professor at Oxford University."
Spending brief periods in natural settings produces measurable physiological and psychological benefits. Exposure to greenery lowers blood pressure, slows heart rate variability, and reduces stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. Around 20 minutes yields significant impact, and a weekly total of about 120 minutes correlates with better self-reported health and higher psychological well-being. Green social prescribing programs have been trialled to connect people with nature and show positive effects on happiness and wellbeing. Aromas from trees, such as Hinoki cypress oil, are associated with reduced adrenaline and increased natural killer cells, which help combat viruses.
Read at www.bbc.com
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