Tag Archives: outdoor exercise

March 13, 2023 · 10:23 pm

To promote exercise, planners must look beyond cities

To encourage more active lifestyles, public health agencies recommend mixed-use neighborhoods and “complete” streets that are friendlier to walkers and bikers, but new Cornell University research finds that while those strategies increase physical activity, an urban bias limits their applicability in many parts of the country.

Planners in suburban and rural communities should focus more on promoting recreational programs, expanding transportation options and creating safer environments to help an aging population get more exercise, according to the researchers’ analysis of more than 1,300 U.S. counties and cities.

“These are things we can think about doing in any community,” said Mildred Warner, professor of global development and of city and regional planning. “If your community is investing in recreation and social activity, they’re more likely to address obesity and other problems linked to physical inactivity.”

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Tagged as #rural communities, #safety, biking, outdoor exercise

February 8, 2022 · 11:44 pm

Love of nature is partially heritable, study of twins shows

A person’s appreciation of nature and their tendency to visit natural spaces are heritable characteristics, according to a large-scale study of UK twins led by Chia-chen Chang at the National University of Singapore, publishing in the open-access journal PLOS Biology.

Researchers surveyed 1153 pairs of twins on the TwinsUK registry about how they experience nature, asking them to rate their familiarity with and desire to be in nature, and how frequently they visit natural spaces such as public parks and private gardens.

They found that identical (monozygotic) twins, who share almost 100% of their genes, were more similar to each other in their orientation towards nature and how frequently they visited nature compared to fraternal (dizygotic) twins, who share around 50% of their genetic material. Heritability ranged from 46% for nature orientation to 34% for frequency of garden visits, suggesting a moderate influence of genetics over how people experience nature. However, environmental factors explained more than half of the differences between individuals. People living in urban environments tended to have less nature experiences, due to for example limited access to gardens, highlighting the importance of availability in shaping nature-seeking behaviors. Heritability also declined with age, suggesting that genetics may become less influential as people age and experience a unique set of environmental conditions.

Spending time in natural spaces has been found to improve mental well-being, but different people experience and benefit from nature differently. This study provides the first evidence for a genetic component to both our predispositions towards nature and our tendency to visit natural spaces. Nature-oriented people may actively seek out nature even if it means traveling from their home, but diverse urban planning is needed to provide access to natural spaces – and the benefits they offer – for all, the authors say.

“Spending time in nature links to better health and wellbeing,” adds Chang. “A twin study shows that a person’s desire to be in nature and how often they experience it are influenced by both genes and personal experiences.”

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October 27, 2021 · 11:28 pm

Your doctor may prescribe spending more time in nature instead of drugs – AHA

Dr. Robert Zarr loves to write prescriptions that you don’t have to take to the pharmacy.

Instead, he sends patients outside to soak in the healing powers of nature, combining the benefits of exercise with the therapeutic effects of fresh air and green space, according to the American Heart Association News.

“Going back millions of years, we’ve evolved outdoors,” said Zarr, a pediatrician who recently relocated to Ottawa, Canada, from Washington, D.C. “Why should we exist indoors? We need to be outdoors. The health benefits of being in nature are obvious.”

The idea isn’t new. The 16th century Swiss physician Paracelsus declared that “the art of healing comes from nature, not from the physician.” In Japan, public health experts promote shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, as a key to physical and psychological health.

The premise is backed up with science. A 2018 meta-analysis in the journal Environmental Research reviewed more than 140 studies and found exposure to green space was associated with wide-ranging health benefits, including lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and lower rates of diabetes, stroke, asthma, heart disease and overall death.

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November 21, 2020 · 12:13 am

Regular dose of nature may improve mental health during COVID-19 pandemic

I have to confess that as much as I enjoy riding my bike everyday, the fact that I live on the Chicago Lakefront and have beautiful Lake Michigan is no small consideration. There are also trees and various wildlife available, too.

A study published in Ecological Applications suggests that nature around one’s home may help mitigate some of the negative mental health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

**I shot this earlier in the week.** **You can see the Navy Pier ferris wheel in the background.**

An online questionnaire survey completed by 3,000 adults in in Tokyo, Japan, quantified the link between five mental-health outcomes (depression, life satisfaction, subjective happiness, self-esteem, and loneliness) and two measures of nature experiences (frequency of green space use and green view through windows from home).

More frequent green space use and the existence of green window views from the home were associated with increased levels of self-esteem, life satisfaction, and subjective happiness, as well as decreased levels of depression and loneliness.

“Our results suggest that nearby nature can serve as a buffer in decreasing the adverse impacts of a very stressful event on humans,” said lead author Masashi Soga, PhD, of The University of Tokyo. “Protecting natural environments in urban areas is important not only for the conservation of biodiversity, but also for the protection of human health.”

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Tagged as nature, outdoor exercise, outdoors

September 18, 2019 · 12:09 am

Time Outside May Benefit Health – Study

According to a recent British study published in the journal Scientific Reports, spending at least two hours a week outside may be good for one’s health. Nearly 20,000 English people were asked how many hours they spent in natural environments like parks, forests, and beaches in the last seven days; whether they considered their health to be good or poor; and if they felt their well-being was high or low. Those reporting nature contact of at least two hours per week were significantly more likely to report ‘good’ health and ‘high’ well-being compared to those reporting zero. (No additional benefit was seen from spending over 3.5 to 5 hours in nature.)

I shot this on a bike ride earlier this week. I love the reflections of the lights on Lake Michigan

While this association was seen even in people who did not meet current physical activity guidelines, the authors were unable to fully untangle time spent outside from time spent being active. It is possible that healthier, happier people are simply more likely to spend more time in nature or live in areas with more open space, but the association was seen even for those with long-term illness or disability. In this study, even people who needed to travel outside of their neighborhoods to reach a park or other natural area benefited from regularly spending time in nature.

As regular readers know, I am a nature lover. Here are a couple of my posts on being outside:

Urban greenspace boosts mental health

Tips on enjoying the outdoors safely

Benefits of exercising outdoors

Tony

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Tagged as good health, happiness, nature, outdoor exercise, outdoors

April 27, 2019 · 12:03 am

20 minute nature walk cuts stress levels – Study

I have written repeatedly that walking is the Cinderella of the exercise world – totally unappreciated. Now comes this wonderful study from the University of Michigan about how a 20 minute walk in contact with nature actually lowers your stress levels.

Photo by joenibraw on Pexels.com

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Tagged as cortisol, nature walking, outdoor exercise, stress relief, walking

June 29, 2018 · 10:58 am

How to Beat the Heat

I wanted to reblog this item from last year on dealing with the heat as we seem to be entering another hot spell.The Weather Channel reported that 90 million of us will be under heat warnings this weekend. Please check this post out for suggestions on staying healthy and alive without maybe risking your life during extreme heat. Discretion is the better part of valor.

Tony

Wellness Secrets of a SuperAger

I personally prefer extreme cold to extreme heat, because you can always add layers and go out, but with heat, no matter how much you take off, you are still uncomfortable once you are outside.

I cruised the web and wanted to share some of the suggestions of others in the same situation.

Our friends overseas at the Daily Mail offered some very down to earth ones, including: “Eat small meals and eat more often. The larger the meal, the more metabolic heat your body creates breaking down the food. Avoid foods that are high in protein, which increase metabolic heat.”

A similar concept came up in my blog item The Brain is an Oxygen Burner explaining why we often feel sluggish after eating a big meal because digestion requires a lot of oxygen that would be going to the brain, but is diverted to the gut.

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Tagged as Exercise, Extreme Heat, hot weather, how to beat the heat, outdoor exercise

April 18, 2016 · 12:05 am

Outdoor Work Makes for Strong Bones in Swedish Farmers

How many times have you read in these pages eat less, move more, live longer? More than I can count. So it was nice to learn that farmers in Sweden seem to have stronger bones as a result of their outdoor activity.

A team of UK and Swedish researchers has released the findings of a new study which assessed the hip fracture risk of farmers in Sweden.

Sweden is one of the few countries which tracks hip fractures through a national registry. It is therefore possible to assess how hip fracture risk across the country varies according to occupation, economic status, level of education, latitude, and urban versus rural residence. Although hip fracture risk is known to be correlated to physical activity, that’s one of the variables, among others, which the registries can’t track. Continue reading →

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Tagged as bone health, Exercise, outdoor exercise, Swedish Farmers

April 14, 2016 · 3:55 pm

5 Reasons to Spend More Time Outside—Even When It’s Cold

Consider this as a companion piece to the post I filed two minutes ago on Exercising in Nature.

Tony

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Tagged as Exercise, healthy-living, nature, outdoor exercise, weight control, weight-loss

January 29, 2015 · 4:47 am

6 Benefits of Exercising in Nature – Infographic

I was happy to discover this infographic as it meets a bias of mine. For some reason being cooped up in the health club really turns me off. That is not to say that I have anything against exercise. I just don’t like doing it cooped up in the health club. When there, I always feel like I am a prisoner forced to do these many reps. It is hard to enjoy exercising there.

On the other hand, just being outdoors feels good to my soul.

Last but not least I am lucky enough to live by Lake Michigan, so I have the magnificent body of water as a backdrop for my bike riding, walking, running, etc. Check out A Beginner’s Guide to Blue Mind to learn more about the benefits of being around water. Also, if you related to this post, check out Reasons to Spend More Time Outside which I filed minutes after I posted this.

Tony

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Tagged as biking, health club, Lake Michigan, outdoor exercise, Vitamin D

December 21, 2012 · 7:18 am

11 Cold Weather Exercise Tips

In these waning days of November with the advent of cold weather, it is a good idea to remind ourselves that inclement weather conditions are not an excuse to blow off exercise. Last week I wrote Cold Weather Cycling for bike riders like me who go year ’round.

The National Institute on Aging has a number of very useful suggestions for continuing to enjoy a variety of outdoor activities.

Outside exercise is really good for you

If you want to walk, run, ski, ice skate, or any other outdoor activities when it’s cold outside, (Please read Shoveling Snow is Dangerous.):

Check the weather forecast. If it’s very windy or cold, exercise inside with a Go4Life DVD and go out another time.

Watch out for snow and icy sidewalks.

Warm up your muscles first. Try walking or light arm pumping before you go out.

Wear several layers of loose clothing. The layers will trap warm air between them.

Avoid tight clothing, which can keep your blood from flowing freely and lead to loss of body heat.

Wear a waterproof coat or jacket if it’s snowy or rainy.

Wear a hat, scarf, and gloves.

Know the signs of hypothermia:

Watch for signs of hypothermia: cold feet and hands, swollen face, pale skin, shivering, slurring words, acting sleepy, and being confused or angry.

Be on the lookout for later signs of hypothermia: moving slowly, trouble walking, slow heartbeat, shallow breathing, and blacking out.

Call 911 right away if you think someone might have hypothermia! Get the person inside and wrap him or her in a warm blanket.

Eat less; move more; live longer. We still need to do it regardless of the conditions outside.
Tony