Living Well Column: Let's Get Out There!
Column
Red flowering currant blooming near a trail in White Salmon, WA. Photo Credit: Cole Goodwin
by Donna Henderson
Balsam root sprouting at the Klickitat River delta in Lyle, WA. Photo Credit: Cole Goodwin
As we enter the summer months, bringing with them opportunities to spend more time outdoors (and oh, isn’t the Gorge a glorious area to spend it?), I am thinking about the crucial role that spending time outdoors plays in our overall mind-body health.
In my counseling practice, when someone seeks help to address experiences of depression or anxiety, I always ask what role physical activity (especially outdoor activity) plays in their life. If the answer is “none,” or “not much,” it is often my first “prescription” to add some kind of regular physical movement—preferably outside—to their daily routine.
The fact is, for possibly the majority of us, regular, moderate physical activity alone is as effective for mild to moderate depression and anxiety as either antidepressant drugs or “talk therapy.” And for those who do take medication, see a therapist, or both, it can make the difference between the medication and the therapy working well, or not.
Many people experience depression at some point in their lives. Whether or not you are one of them so far, it’s worth noting that twenty-five separate studies have found that people who engage regularly in outdoor activities such as walking or gardening are significantly less likely to develop depression in the future, or to relapse from a previous episode.
Monte Carlo Trail #52, Gifford Pinchot National Forest, WA. Photo Credit: Cole Goodwin
So how does moving our bodies benefit our mental and emotional states?
There are several factors, each of which may be more or less important to a given individual. Physically, activity that stimulates the cardiovascular system can boost levels of the neurotransmitters that influence mood. Psychologically, moving our bodies can provide a sense of accomplishment and control, and a sense of feeling more “at home” in the body, whatever its size, shape or condition. Activity also naturally helps to shift our attention away from the mind’s anxieties, connecting us instead with the body’s experience of the present moment, which is where we actually live, love, and connect with all that sustains us.
While certain kinds of activity seem to be more effective on mood states than others (yoga and walking, for instance, appear to be especially effective), it is important to start with something you can actually enjoy, at a level of exertion you can tolerate, and then do it regularly—ideally most days of the week.
Klickitat Trail, Lyle, WA. Photo Credit: Cole Goodwin
Consider the setting, too: walking or bicycling outdoors is likely to be both more beneficial and more fun more than running on a treadmill or using an exercise bike indoors, because of the connection to nature that it renews and nourishes…and statistically, people who connect regularly with nature, whether by way of vigorous exercise, meditative practice, casting a fly rod, or other outdoor engagement with nature report feeling calmer, more creative, able to concentrate, and generally happier than those who do not.
Then, there is the element of “mindfulness,” which increases the benefits of any activity, indoors or out. By definition, the practice of yoga (the word “yoga” itself means “union”) cultivates the mind’s ability to settle itself using breath and attention, while at the same time developing flexibility, balance and strength in the body. Similarly, the practice of “mindful walking,” developed by Buddhist monk and teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh, engages with walking in such a way as to bring balance to our whole being.
In a column in the Wampinrock News in 2016, White Salmon resident, retired behavioral health therapist and “mindful walking” guide Steven Woolpert wrote that “mindful walking in nature brings the beauty and healing power of the natural world into mind, body, and spirit.” Instead of concentrating on achievement-oriented goals like distance, speed, or heart rate, he wrote, in “mindful walking” the activity itself is the goal, and the focus is on paying close attention to the experience, moment to moment.
Jewett Creek, White Salmon, WA
Similarly, the practice of shinrin-yoku, or “forest bathing,” developed in Japan, is gaining wide attention for its powerfully-beneficial health effects. The practice includes a range of activities which include walking, standing, sitting, and deep breathing, while consciously connecting to the body’s presence and movements through the senses, within a forest environment. According to a number of studies so far, forest bathing can help to regulate blood pressure, activate the parasympathetic nervous system (our “rest and digest” system), increase the number of natural “killer cells,” (the cells in our body which protect against disease by killing virally infected cells), decrease insomnia, and relieve symptoms associated with PTSD, substance abuse, and anxiety.
All that said, if walking on a treadmill while watching a video is what floats your particular mind-body “boat,” go for it…but consider watching a video which immerses you in nature, even virtually: according to one study, watching a video of a forest environment can induce some of the same physical reactions as being in the forest itself.
But don’t take my word for it, get out there and find out for yourself! What’s there to lose (or prevent) but your “moods”?
To learn more:
For an excellent, short introduction to “mindful walking” practice, visit http://www.wholeliving.com/134206/mindful-walking.
More on forest bathing can be found (among many online resources) at https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/forest-bathing-nature-walk-health . And for links to the specific studies cited in this article, email me: donna@donnahendersonlcsw.com
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