There really is no medicine quite like spending some time in the great outdoors.


Researchers from the University of Michigan found that participation in outdoor group recreation[1] is associated with higher psychological well-being among veterans -- and for some study participants, the results were long-lasting.


"The findings suggest that extended group-based nature recreation[2] can have significant positive impacts on veterans struggling with serious health problems," study researcher Jason Duvall, a research scientist at the university's School of Natural Resources & Environment, said in a statement. "Although more research is needed and many questions remain, the use of extended group-based outdoor recreation programs to ease veterans' transition back into civilian life seems to be a promising approach."


The small study, which was commissioned by the environmental group the Sierra Club, included 98 veterans who went on a multi-day outdoor recreation outing, which included camping and hiking. Researchers surveyed them a week before the outing, one week after the outing, and about a month after the outing, to determine their psychological well-being and outlook on life. More than half of the study participants reported experiencing some kind of physical or mental health problem frequently.


Researchers found that going on the outing was associated with 10 percent higher scores on measures of psychological well-being and 9 percent higher scores on measures of social functioning. It was also linked with 8 percent higher scores on measures of life outlook.


"This trip helped me to reevaluate what's important in life," Tim, who is a 52-year-old Navy veteran, said in a statement. "It was nice to live a week without being 'plugged in' [3] and take in the great outdoors."


Plus, researchers found that these improvements seemed to be especially profound in the veterans who reported having the most serious mental or physical health problems before the outing.



Recently, a study published in the journal PLOS One showed that taking a few unplugged days in nature[4] could help boost creativity. And in another study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, Heriot-Watt University researchers found that walking through green spaces could help put the brain in a more meditative state[5] .



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  • Improved Attention And Focus


    A small study from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign found that kids with ADHD were <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18725656?ordinalpos=6&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum" target="_hplink">able to concentrate better after a 20-minute walk in a park</a> rather than a walk through city or neighborhood streets.

    "What this particular study tells us is that <a href="http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/17/a-dose-of-nature-for-attention-problems/" target="_hplink">the physical environment matters</a>," Frances E. Kuo, director of the university's Landscape and Human Health Laboratory and one of the study's co-authors told <em>The New York Times</em>. "We don't know what it is about the park, exactly -- the greenness or lack of buildings -- that seems to improve attention."

    <em>Flickr photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/quacktaculous/3143079032/" target="_hplink">quacktaculous</a></em>




  • Greater Likelihood To Keep Exercising


    While every little bit of exercise counts, let's be honest: most of us could probably afford to do a little bit <em>more</em>. The <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/everyone/guidelines/adults.html" target="_hplink">2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans</a> recommend the average adult get two hours and 30 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio every week, plus two or more sessions of strength training.

    It's all too easy to skimp on workouts. However, a 2011 survey found that exercising outdoors is a reinforcing behavior -- the study found that outdoor exercisers "declared a <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21291246" target="_hplink">greater intent to repeat the activity</a> at a later date" than gym-goers.




  • Lower Risk Of Being Overweight


    The fresh air, the sunlight, the scenery, the open space -- there's a lot about being outside that can inspire more activity, especially when contrasted to the beckoning couches and screens of indoor spaces. And the extra movement adds up. A 2008 study found that rates of overweight among children who spent more time outside were <a href="http://www.nature.com/ijo/journal/v32/n11/full/ijo2008171a.html" target="_hplink">27 to 41 percent lower than in kids who spent more time indoors</a>.




  • More Energy


    Exercise itself is sure to reinvigorate you when you're feeling sluggish, but fresh air can up the effect. A 2009 study from the University of Rochester found that <a href="http://www.intrinsicmotivation.net/SDT/documents/2010_RyanWeinstenEtAl_JEVP.pdf" target="_hplink">just 20 minutes outside</a> can rev you up <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/7803320/20-minutes-outdoors-as-good-as-cup-of-coffee.html" target="_hplink">as much as a cup of coffee</a>, <em>The Telegraph</em> reported.

    "Often when we feel depleted we reach for a cup of coffee, but this suggests a better way to get energized is to connect with nature," lead author <a href="http://www.psych.rochester.edu/faculty/ryan/" target="_hplink">Richard M. Ryan, Ph.D.</a>, a professor of psychology at the university told the publication.

    <em>Flickr photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/galant/688642298/" target="_hplink">thebittenword.com</a></em>




  • Faster Healing And Less Pain


    A 2005 study of spinal surgery patients found that patients staying on the sunny side of the hospital reported <a href="http://www.psychosomaticmedicine.org/content/67/1/156.abstract" target="_hplink">less pain, less stress and needed less medication</a> for pain than patients housed on the shady side of the building.

    Of course, recovering from a surgery will temporarily put a damper on most fitness plans, but if sunlight is the key ingredient, an outdoor workout may just boast some of the same benefits for more minor injuries.




  • Higher Vitamin D Levels


    Taking your workout outside is a great (and free!) way to soak up some additional vitamin D. A 2011 study that found vigorous exercisers had higher levels of vitamin suggested that <a href="http://yourlife.usatoday.com/fitness-food/exercise/story/2011-10-04/Vigorous-exercise-boosts-vitamin-D-while-lowering-heart-risk/50660716/1" target="_hplink">outdoor exercise may be the reason why</a>, <em>USA Today</em> reported.

    It may be especially helpful for people with a few pounds to lose, according to Everyday Health, since overweight people are almost <a href="http://www.everydayhealth.com/fitness/outdoor-exercise-benefits.aspx" target="_hplink">twice as likely to not get enough vitamin D</a>.

    <em>Flickr photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wonderlane/4775285017/" target="_hplink">Wonderlane</a></em>




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