Group nature walk isn’t just beneficial to the body, but the mind; this ancient mind healing walk acquired scientific support of recent from a study carried out on ‘Walking for Health,‘ a British program with thousands of participants.
The study says taking part in a group walk in nature is associated with better mental well-being; most beneficial to those who had been through heartbreaking moment such as bereavement and divorce.
We hear people say they feel better after a walk or going outside but there haven’t been many studies of this large size to support the conclusion that these behaviors actually improve your mental health and well-being,” Sara Warber, one of the study’s authors, said.
A group of people who took part in the group nature walks was compared with a control group, and results were gathered by the researcher over a period of three-month. Researchers gathered that those who took part in the group nature walks were with less depression, and better mental well-being.
Other studies are been conducted on the importance of the natural environment for our mental health. Another popular example is the Japanese’ shinrin-yoku, which means ‘forest bathing.’
Walking is an inexpensive, low risk and accessible form of exercise and it turns out that combined with nature and group settings, it may be a very powerful, under-utilized stress buster, Warber added.
Read also: How Walking in Nature Reduces Depression
Our findings suggest that something as simple as joining an outdoor walking group may not only improve someone’s daily positive emotions but may also contribute a non-pharmacological approach to serious conditions like depression.”
Further reading:
Warber Sara L., Marselle Melissa R.: Examining Group Walks in Nature and Multiple Aspects of Well-Being - Ecopsychology. September 2014, 6(3): 134-147.