Walking Through Natural Environments: A Benefit for Our Minds
A scientific study confirms, through brain activity monitoring, that walking in green areas relaxes the mind.
Excessive work, stress, and noise are some of the factors that cause mental fatigue, which in turn leads to lack of concentration.
A study conducted in Scotland suggests that visiting green spaces and parks can help relax our minds. Walking in a place full of trees has a calming effect and does not require directed mental attention, so spending time in these environments "resets" the brain.
Studies have shown that people living near parks and other tree-filled areas have lower levels of hydrocortisone –a hormone related to stress– than people living in buildings surrounded only by concrete. Children with attention deficit disorder also tend to perform better on cognitive tests after walking through wooded areas.
Scientists observed the brain activity of volunteers who had electrodes placed on their heads while they were shown images of trees or urban scenes. The brainwaves of those who saw trees showed greater calm.
Until recently, it had not been possible to examine brain activity while people walked through parks or busy areas. But in the latest study, published in The British Journal of Sports Medicine, researchers from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh placed electrodes on volunteers' scalps, connected to laptops they carried, and had them walk the same distance through a park, a street with old buildings and light traffic, and finally through a commercial district with heavy traffic and concrete buildings.
The study results, based on brainwave patterns recorded on each volunteer’s computer, revealed that participants showed calm brain activity during their walk through the wooded area.
Dr. Jenny Roe, a professor at Heriot-Watt, stated that “walking through natural environments requires some attention, but no mental effort.”
This is referred to as involuntary attention, which does not require being alert, unlike in a hectic urban environment.
Although the study was not conducted with a large sample size, the results are consistent and demonstrate that it is beneficial to walk through green areas when looking to clear your mind.
Source: ecoosfera
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