Walking among the trees is good for the body and the brain

After a walk among the trees, stress decreases and mood increases. And the brain activity that causes us to ruminate is turned off.

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Walking to avoid depression

Trees don't just give us clean air, aesthetics, and the unspoiled beauty of places. They give us health, and a lot of it, even the most unexpected. Is something depressing you? Are you in a bad mood? Have you had a particularly tough day? Try walkingYou won't regret it. The value of a healthy walk in a park, in a forest, among the trees, is enormous. And not only from a physical standpoint, as exercise and prevention of cardiovascular disease, but also for psychological aspects. For our mood.

The benefits of walking among the trees

A very recent study published by a group of researchers from Stanford University, in collaboration with colleagues in Stockholm, now provides us with a definitive answer as to why walking is good for your mood. To provide a complete answer to this question, the researchers conducted the following experiment. A group of volunteers walked for a long time in a park, among the trees, and then walked for the same amount of time on a busy street. cityThe result? After walking among the trees, the volunteers felt much better; their mood was excellent, and they showed no signs of anxiety. So far, everything was already known, even expected.

Walking against depression

But the novelty lies in the fact that researchers have managed to identify the neurological reasons underlying this extraordinary result. Walking among the treesWith direct contact with nature, we stop "ruminating," that is, obsessively thinking about the same things over and over again, starting with those that, from our perspective, don't work. This behavior is typical of those who live in cities, amidst chaos and pollution, and for psychiatrists, it's the precursor to depression, anxiety, and stress. But there's more. In contact with trees let's finish "thinking about it" Because blood isn't flowing to that part of the brain called the "subgeniculate prefrontal cortex," the area where we most "ruminate." In practice, that area rests when we're walking, but it lights up when we're stuck in traffic: this is why our mood improves and depression recedes.

Why walking among the trees is so good for you

Despite this additional scientific news, we must unfortunately note that we are continuing to destroy trees around the world, with rather worrying prospects. Researchers at Yale University, using satellite data, have managed to conduct a sort of tree census, also predicting future trends. The situation is this. There are 3.04 trillion trees in the world, 422 for every person (in Italy, it's 143 per person), but we cut down 15 billion a year, and if things continue like this, in a hundred years there will be 214 for every inhabitant of the planet. Half of today. Let's take a walk, then, and Let's all commit ourselves to defending the trees: plant them wherever possible. Simply walking among the trees exponentially amplifies all the physical benefits of walk. In particular:

  • Walking just twenty minutes a day can reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.
  • Sleep quality improves.
  • The desire to socialize with others grows.
  • Blood pressure decreases.
  • The immune defenses are strengthened.
  • Muscle tone increases.
  • Bone aging slows down.

Walking in the greenery improves sleep

The ideal time to walk among the trees is the weekend. We have no commitments, we don't have to rush, and we're more likely to clear our minds of ruminating thoughts. A study published in the journal Environmental Research, which examined a series of clinical studies on the effects of weekend exposure to greenery, confirms that a walk among the trees significantly improves sleep quality. A total of two hours of walking also extends subsequent sleep time. And the best time to reap these benefits is in the afternoon.

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