Why is Walking in Nature So Important? New Research Explains

Nature is your friend and healer, and that’s a fact! According to recent research, a stroll in nature can ease your mind and strengthen your pace.

Researchers support a lot of the concept that natural environments are incredibly therapeutic. The best part? They can also enhance the reaction times and reduce cognitive fatigue. Do you feel like walking in nature today?

Here is what you need to know.

Walking in Nature Benefits

The recent research actually includes two cool experiments. It was realized among 65 university students in a lab.

The experiments hold enough proof that nature and urban scenery bring different demands on cognitive processing. And that can be expressed on a moment-to-moment basis. 

Notably, the results still need to be rechecked in real environments.

The team’s work

Researchers measured the walking speed and reaction times. Why? Because a person’s movements can show their cognitive load, and their reaction time indicates some higher-level brain “manners,” such as attention.

During the experiments, the team of researchers used a dozen motion control cameras and sensors to examine participants walk down a 15-meter area repeatedly.

Moreover, the participants had to face a wall depicting a city or a nature image. After that, they were required to rate their feelings of discomfort.

Measuring reaction times in both urban and natural scenes also helped researchers to support their concept. 

The results

Participants reported more discomfort in city sceneries, walking a bit slower. They also showed a much higher cognitive load and were slower in discriminating between simple shapes.

Previous research indicates that only looking at images of nature could decrease your stress. Also, seeing trees can do wonders for your mental health.

However, even if these results are really satisfying, researchers still need more time to figure out other things. An experiment in both environments is also required.

The recent research was initially published in Royal Society Open Science.