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While
it may seem obvious that a good hike through a forest or up a mountain
can cleanse your mind, body, and soul, science is now
discovering that hiking can actually change your brain… for the better!
Hiking in Nature Can Stop Negative, Obsessive Thoughts
Aside from the almost instant feeling of
calm and contentment that accompanies time outdoors, hiking in nature
can reduce rumination. Many of us often find ourselves consumed
by negative thoughts, which takes us out of the enjoyment of the moment
at best and leads us down a path to depression and anxiety at worst. But
a recent study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that spending time in nature decreases these obsessive, negative thoughts by a significant margin.
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To conduct this study, researchers
compared the reported rumination of participants who hiked through
either an urban or a natural environment. They found that those who
walked for 90 minutes in a natural environment reported lower levels of
rumination and they also had reduced neural activity in the subgenual
prefrontal cortex, an area of the brain related to mental illness. Those
who walked through the urban environment, however, did not report
decreased rumination.
The researchers noted that increased
urbanization closely correlates with increased instances of depression
and other mental illness. Taking the time to regularly remove ourselves
from urban settings and spend more time in nature can greatly benefit
our psychological (and physical) well-being.
Hiking While Disconnected From Technology Boosts Creative Problem Solving
A study
conducted by psychologists Ruth Ann Atchley and David L. Strayer found
that creative problem solving can be drastically improved by both
disconnecting from technology and reconnecting with nature. Participants
in this study went backpacking through nature for about four days,
during which time they were not allowed to use any technology
whatsoever. They were asked to perform tasks requiring creative thinking
and complex problem solving, and researchers found that
performance on problem solving tasks improved by 50% for those who took
part in this tech-free hiking excursion.
They also noted that both technology and
urban noise are incredibly disruptive, constantly demanding our
attention and preventing us from focusing, all of which can be taxing to
our cognitive functions. A nice long hike, sans technology, can reduce
mental fatigue, soothe the mind, and boost creative thinking.
Hiking Outdoors Can Improve ADHD in Children
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
(ADHD) is becoming more and more common among children. Children who
have ADHD have a difficult time with impulse control and staying
focused, get distracted easily, and exhibit excessive hyperactivity.
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While raising children who have ADHD can
be difficult for parents, the usual solution — opting for prescription
medication — may be doing more harm than good, particularly when natural
solutions can work just as well. A study
conducted by Frances E Kup, PhD, and Andrea Faber Taylor, PhD, found
that exposing children with ADHD to “green outdoor activities” reduces
symptoms significantly. The results of this study suggest nature
exposure can benefit anyone who has a difficult time paying attention
and/or exhibits impulsive behaviour.
Hiking In Nature Is Great Exercise and Therefore Boosts Brainpower
We already know that exercise is
fantastic for our overall well-being. Hiking is an excellent way to burn
between 400–700 calories per hour, depending on your size and the hike
difficulty, and it is easier on the joints than other activities like
running. It has also been proven that people who exercise outside are
more likely to keep at it and stick to their programs, making hiking an
excellent choice for those wishing to become more active on a regular
basis.
Researchers from the University of British Columbia found
that aerobic exercise increases hippocampal volume — the part of the
brain associated with spatial and episodic memory — in women over the
age of 70. Such exercise not only reduces memory loss, but helps prevent
it as well. Researchers also found that it can
lower stress and anxiety, boost self esteem, and release endorphins.
Many people take medication to solve each and every one of these issues,
but the solution to these ills may be a lot simpler than you think!
How Walking in Nature Changes the Brain
Unfortunately most people are flocking more
and more towards the city, which is generally a climate of stress,
anxiety and depression, all of which are also backed up by various
studies.
All of this seems to be linked according to the research.Numerous
studies suggest that city life with little access to nature always
breeds psychological issues. While those who do live in the city, but
have access to a park or some form of Nature have more mental stability
and appear to be less stressed out, as well as happier.
Although the studies have certainly made
this clear, how exactly Nature is able to have such an impressive impact
on the brain remains a mystery.
Graduate student, Gregory Bratman, at Stanford University, has been working hard to figure this out. In a study published last month,
he and his fellow scientists found that volunteers who walked, even if
just briefly through an area of the Stanford campus that is green and
full of Mother Nature’s beauty, they were actually more focused and
happier afterward than the volunteers who did not. This study, however,
did not examine the neurological effects that might be inspiring the
positive effects of being in nature.
In a new study, which was published just last week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,
Bratman decided to closely probe what exact effect a walk would
actually have on a person’s proclivity to “brood” which is basically
obsessively thinking about that which is wrong in our lives.
Studies thus far have shown that “brooding”,
which often precedes depression, is overwhelmingly higher in city
dwellers than those who have access, or live in Nature.
For this study the team gathered 38
physically healthy adult urban dwellers and had them complete a
questionnaire to determine their usual level of mental wellbeing.
In addition to this, the researchers also
checked for brain activity in each of the volunteer’s subgenual
prefrontal cortex. Then the team randomly selected half of the
volunteers to walk for 90 minutes through Mother Nature and the other
half next to a loud highway. The volunteers were allowed to walk at
their own pace but not allowed to have companions, music or any
distractions.
After the task was complete, the volunteers came back to the lab and repeated the questionnaire and the brain scan.
Predictably the results showed that those who walked by the highways
were stressed out and those who walked in Nature were happy and at
peace. In short, the mental wellbeing of the people who spent time in
Nature was not only noticeably better but it also was according to the
brain scans.Although there is still lots research to be done to understand if there are certain times of day that are better than others, or just how long of a duration is most effective, the studies by his colleagues, and people before them, clearly prove that spending time in Nature is good for the brain and overall mental wellbeing of the individual. Most people who spend time in Nature obviously did not need a study to prove this, but it’s always nice to see how things work scientifically.
How Can You Begin Hiking?
Luckily, hiking is one of the easiest
and least expensive sports to get involved in, and it can have great
benefits for the whole family, including grandma! Start out small and
test your abilities. Do what works for you; if that means just walking
through trails in a park, that’s fine. Any exercise outdoors is better
than none. You can easily find maps of trails around your home online,
and there are plenty of smartphone apps to
map them out, too. I recommend turning off your signal and your phone
while hiking though, so you can reap the most benefits of the hike
(though it may be wise to at least carry it with you in case of
emergency).
Make sure you have some good sturdy
hiking shoes, a hat, and a water bottle, and be sure to layer your
clothing so you can take things on or off easily as you warm up and cool
down. You may want to consider using trekking poles as well, which can
increase your speed and take some of the pressure off your knees. Now,
can you just do one thing for me?
Go take a hike!
Much Love
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