A short walk in nature is like spa for the brain, research finds

I don’t know about you, but walking along trees has a positive impact on me in a multitude of ways. There’s something instantly uplifting about the cool shade, the sounds of leaves rustling and critters crittering. It’s therefore hardly surprising that new research has found that walking in nature is like spa for the brain.

A study tested the effects of going for a walk in nature on memory recall and mood, and found that walking in nature improved brain function and mood, and decreased negative thoughts and anxiety.  

The study conducted Dr Gregory Bratman and his team at Stanford University assigned 60 participants with either a 50-minute walk in green and leafy park, or a 50-minute walk along a busy city road. Participants had to complete a series of tests both before and after the walk to test key mental resources like memory and negative rumination. It found that compared to participants who walked on the road, those who walked in a park showed improved memory recall and mood, and lowered anxiety and rumination.  

There are different scientific theories for why this might happen. One of them is the Stress Reduction Theory (SRT), which suggests that through most of our evolution as a species, humans have lived outdoors, surrounded by trees, plants, soil and other species, which may be why we are more comforted by them than artificial environments embodied by concrete, metal and mechanical noise.

Attention Restoration Theory (ART) proposes that while nature replenishes mental resources, like attention, after they have been exerted, for example by spending many tireless hours studying for an exam or completing assignments, artificial urban environments can be highly distractive and draining on our mental faculties.

There’s a growing body of research pointing to the restorative effects of nature on our mental and physical health. So with the mounting pressures of student life, that one short walk in the park or the woodland might just the thing your brain thanks you for!