This Is The Minimum Dose Of Nature To Relax You

Science is delving into the beneficial effect of natural environments on people’s health. So much so that it is less and less strange for doctors to prescribe experiences in nature as part of their treatments. But what is the effective dose?

In general, the more time we spend in natural settings the better, but research, published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology, has found the minimum amount of time to get a positive effect.

“We know that spending time in nature reduces stress, but until now it was not clear how much was enough, how often to do it, or what kind of experience in nature was best,” said study lead author MaryCarol Hunter, professor. associate of the School of Environment and Sustainability at the University of Michigan.

20-30 minutes minimum in a space with natural elements

“Our study shows that for the greatest benefit, in terms of efficiently reducing levels of the stress hormone cortisol, at least 20 to 30 minutes should be spent sitting or walking in a place that provides a feeling of being surrounded by nature, “he assured.

This “nature pill” can be a cheap, safe, and enjoyable way to curb the negative health effects of city and indoor life.

To find the most efficient dosage, Hunter and his colleagues asked 36 city dwellers to have experiences in nature for at least 10 minutes, three times a week for eight weeks.

An experience in nature was defined as “staying in any place in the open air that, in the opinion of the participant, makes them feel that they are interacting with nature” by what is seen, heard, breathed or felt in general.

Every two weeks, the researchers collected saliva samples to measure levels of the stress hormone (cortisol), both before and after the participants took their dose of nature.

Reduces cortisol levels

The data showed that only an experience of at least 20 minutes was capable of significantly reducing cortisol levels. The effect was more efficient and produced with 20-30 minutes. After half an hour, profits continue to increase, but at a slower pace.

The results coincide with those of another recent study, published in the International Journal of Environmental Health Research, according to which spending 20 minutes in an urban park can make you happier, regardless of whether you use that time to exercise or to sit.

“Overall, we found that participants felt greater emotional well-being after the park visit,” explained lead author and professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Hon K. Yuen.

“We did not find that the levels of physical activity are related to the improvement of emotional well-being. Instead, we found that the time we spend in the park is,” he added.

A reason to create more parks in cities

For this study, 94 adults visited three urban parks in Mountain Brook, Alabama, and completed a questionnaire about their subjective well-being before and after their visit.

An accelerometer monitored his physical activity. Visits that lasted between 20 and 25 minutes showed the best results, with an increase of approximately 64 percent in well-being reported by participants, even if they did not move much in the park, indicating that anyone can benefit, by margin of age or physical condition.

The studies serve to support the efforts of neighborhood and social movements that want more green spaces, always beset by urban growth and commercial pressures.