Fall 2019 - Inside Outdoor Magazine

Inside Outdoor | FALL 2019 6 GET YOUR 120 MINUTES OUTDOORS It’s fairly well established that immersing oneself in nature can have posi- tive effects on your physical and mental health. Now, thanks to a large-scale study led by the University of Exeter, we are able to say just how much na- ture is enough. According to the research, published recently in Scientific Reports and funded by the U.K.’s National Institute of Health Research, people who spend at least 120 minutes in nature a week are significantly more likely to report good health and higher psychological wellbeing than those who don’t visit nature during an average week. What’s more, no such benefits were found for people who visited natural settings for less than 120 minutes a week. The study used data from nearly 20,000 people in England and found that it didn’t matter whether the 120 minutes was achieved in a single visit or over several shorter visits. It also found the 120-minute threshold applied to both men and women, to both older and younger adults, across different occupa- tional groups and ethnicities, and among all levels of income and wealth. It also applied among people with long term illnesses or disabilities. “The majority of nature visits in this research took place within just two miles of home, so even visiting local urban greenspaces seems to be a good thing,” said Dr. Mat White of the University of Exeter Medical School. “Two hours a week is hopefully a realistic target for many people, especially given that it can be spread over an entire week to get the benefit.” There also is growing evidence that merely living in a greener neighbor- hood can be good for health, for instance, by reducing air pollution, sug- gested the study. Data for the current research came from Natural England’s Monitor of Engagement and the Natural Environment Survey, the world’s larg- est study collecting data on people’s weekly contact with the natural world. “There are many reasons why spending time in nature may be good for health and wellbeing, including getting perspective on life circumstances, reducing stress and enjoying quality time with friends and family,” said Terry Hartig , a professor at Uppsala University in Sweden and co-author of the research. “The current findings offer valuable support to health practitioners in making recommendations about spending time in nature to promote basic health and wellbeing, similar to guidelines for weekly physical [activity].” From the Editor Martin Vilaboy Editor-in-Chief martin@bekabusinessmedia.com Gerald Baldino Managing Editor gerald@bekabusinessmedia.com Percy Zamora Art Director outdoor@bekapublishing.com Ernest Shiwanov Editor at Large ernest@bekapublishing.com Berge Kaprelian Group Publisher berge@bekabusinessmedia.com Anthony Graffeo Associate Publisher anthony@bekabusinessmedia.com Mitch Beyer Digital Marketing Manager mitch@bekabusinessmedia.com Beka Business Media Berge Kaprelian President and CEO Neil Ende General Counsel Jim Bankes Business Accounting Corporate Headquarters 10115 E Bell Road, Suite 107 - #517 Scottsdale, Arizona 85260 Voice: 480.503.0770 Fax: 480.503.0990 Email: berge@bekabusinessmedia.com © 2019 Beka Business Media, All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in any form or medium without express written permission of Beka Business Media, is prohibited. Inside Outdoor and the Inside Outdoor logo are trademarks of Beka Business Media