Exercising in a natural, open-air setting may have more health benefits than exercising indoors or at home, researchers say.
- “Exercising in a park or other natural setting is more beneficial than doing it indoors,” at home or in a gym, according to a study.
- Community gardens, playgrounds, tree canopies, hiking trails and well-maintained water features: these are the “physical features” that make outdoor spaces “more attractive.”
- According to the researchers, health professionals should encourage their patients to spend more time in these natural places. Recommendations better known as “park prescriptions.”
While regular exercise offers many health benefits (preventing chronic diseases, improving immune function, reducing anxiety, etc.), more than three in four adults in the United States exercise less than the 150 to 300 minutes of moderate physical activity or the 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous activity recommended by the World Health Organization.
It was based on this observation that a team of researchers from Texas A&M University asked the question: “Could exercising outdoors in a natural environment increase the positive effects of physical exercise and encourage more people to practice?”
What are the benefits of playing sports in a natural environment?
To answer this question, scientists compiled, in a study published in theAmerican Journal of Lifestyle Medicineall the current scientific evidence regarding physical activity in a natural environment. They identified several factors that determine how often people visit parks and natural environments, how often they engage in physical activity once there, and the benefits they derive from it. With a clear conclusion: “Exercising in a park or other natural setting is more beneficial than exercising indoors.”at home or in the gym, we can read in a communicated.
Community gardens, playgrounds, good lighting, but also tree canopy, hiking trails and well-maintained water features: these are the “material characteristics” which make outdoor spaces “welcoming” And “more attractive” in the eyes of the population, knowing that in the United States, “Parks and trails are particularly important because of their accessibility and wide availability”The study also mentions “the perceived feeling of security”, “the strong sense of connection to nature” And “the belief that spending time in these natural places is essential” for health.
“Prescribing” nature to the population
According to the researchers, health professionals should encourage their patients to spend more time in these natural places and to engage in physical activity there, even if it is just walking. Recommendations better known as “park prescriptions”, a kind of public health program called ParkRx (for Park Prescription in English).
“Given that the majority of Americans do not get enough exercise or spend enough time outdoors, it is clear that using parks and natural environments for physical activity could be a potentially powerful tool for promoting healthy living.”concludes Professor Jay Maddock, lead author of the research. Understand: nature could be the best “carrot” to push us to do more sport.
