How does exposure to nature and outdoor environments benefit mental and physical health?

Introduction

Exposure to nature and outdoor environments has been increasingly recognized for its potential benefits on both mental and physical health. This synthesis aims to consolidate findings from multiple research studies to provide a comprehensive understanding of how nature and outdoor environments contribute to well-being.

Key Insights

Mental Health Benefits:
- Contact with natural outdoor environments (NOE) is associated with better mental health, including reduced stress, anxiety, and depression, and improved mood and cognitive function .
- Interaction with nature can lead to sustained improvements in mental health, particularly through the restoration of attentional resources and reduction of stress .
- Adolescents who spend more time outdoors and feel connected to nature report fewer psychosomatic symptoms, with notable differences observed between genders.
Physical Health Benefits:
- Exposure to natural environments has been linked to various physiological benefits, including improved cardiovascular health, reduced blood pressure, and enhanced immune function .
- Physical activity in natural settings provides additional health benefits compared to similar activities in built environments, contributing to better general health and emotional well-being .
Stress Reduction:
- Spending time in natural environments, such as green spaces and blue spaces, significantly reduces stress levels, as evidenced by lower cortisol levels and improved heart rate variability .
- The stress-reducing effects of nature are mediated by factors such as perceived restoration, physical activity, and reduced air pollution.
Enhanced Enjoyment and Adherence to Physical Activity:
- People report greater enjoyment and satisfaction when engaging in physical activities in natural environments compared to indoor settings, which may lead to higher adherence to regular exercise routines .

Conclusion

Exposure to nature and outdoor environments offers substantial benefits for both mental and physical health. These benefits include improved mood, reduced stress, enhanced cognitive function, and better cardiovascular health. Engaging in physical activities in natural settings not only amplifies these benefits but also increases enjoyment and adherence to exercise routines. Overall, integrating more natural experiences into daily life can significantly contribute to overall well-being.

How does exposure to nature and outdoor environments benefit mental and physical health?

Summary

Introduction

Key Insights

Conclusion

Sources and full results

Green Perspectives for Public Health: A Narrative Review on the Physiological Effects of Experiencing Outdoor Nature

Outdoor nature experiences have significant positive effects on physiological stress reactions across all body systems, but more interdisciplinary research is needed to optimize their health promotion and disease prevention potential.

Natural outdoor environments and mental health: Stress as a possible mechanism

Contact with natural outdoor environments, particularly surrounding greenness, benefits mental health, with stress and social contacts acting as mediators.

The Relationship between Perceived Health and Physical Activity Indoors, Outdoors in Built Environments, and Outdoors in Nature

Repeated exercise in nature is consistently linked to better emotional well-being, while general health benefits are observed in both built and natural outdoor settings.

Does participating in physical activity in outdoor natural environments have a greater effect on physical and mental wellbeing than physical activity indoors? A systematic review

Exercise in natural environments is associated with greater mental wellbeing benefits compared to indoor exercise, but the long-term sustainability of these effects remains unclear.

The great outdoors? Exploring the mental health benefits of natural environments

Exposure to natural environments can improve mental health, with interactions with nature linked to the restoration of limited-capacity attentional resources compared to urban or built scenes.

Psychological benefits of outdoor physical activity in natural versus urban environments: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of experimental studies

Outdoor physical activity in natural environments is more beneficial for psychological health outcomes compared to urban environments.

Does spending time outdoors reduce stress? A review of real‐time stress response to outdoor environments

Spending time in outdoor environments, particularly green spaces, may reduce the experience of stress and improve health, as evidenced by changes in heart rate, blood pressure, and self-report measures.

The effect of randomised exposure to different types of natural outdoor environments compared to exposure to an urban environment on people with indications of psychological distress in Catalonia

Exposure to green and blue natural environments significantly reduces psychological distress and improves heart rate variability in people with psychological distress compared to urban environments.

Does participating in physical activity in outdoor natural environments have a greater effect on physical and mental wellbeing than physical activity indoors? A systematic review

Exercise in natural environments is associated with greater mental wellbeing benefits compared to indoor exercise, but more research is needed to confirm these findings.

Outdoor play and nature connectedness as potential correlates of internalized mental health symptoms among Canadian adolescents.

Adolescent girls spending over 0.5 hours/week outdoors and valuing their connection to nature are associated with a 24% lower prevalence of high psychosomatic symptoms.

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