2012  HIKING, CYCLING,

& RV TRAVEL ADVENTURES

 

   
 
Runtrails' Web Journal
 
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  FOREST THERAPY, p. 2

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15

 
 

Continued from page 1.

SOME OF THE SCIENTIFIC RESULTS

There are good reasons why Japan's government has spent a considerable amount of money developing and promoting these trails -- they've got years of good data and their research is getting increasingly sophisticated.

The U.S. and South Korea are also studying changes at the neurological level using functional brain imaging and other tests.

Sharp Top (above) does look sharp from Harkening Hill.  And nearby Flattop Mtn. (below) does look
relatively flat from this angle. It's a little over 4,000 feet high. I haven't hiked up Flattop yet. (11-16-12)

Four million $$$ worth of scientific studies in Japan since 2004 have proven the psychological and physiological benefits of forest therapy to the hundreds of stressed-out people who have volunteered to be monitored and tested so far.

"While a small but impressive shelf of psychological research in recent decades suggests that spending time in nature improves cognition, relieves anxiety and depression, and even boosts empathy, scientists in Japan are measuring what's actually happening to our cells and neurons . . . they're using field tests, hormone analysis, and new brain-imaging technology to uncover how the magic works on a molecular level," the author of the article writes.

Above and below:  interesting boulders on the trail to the peak of Sharp Top  (11-10-12)

The article goes into some detail about the testing of research subjects and the scientific evidence discovered so far. I'll try to summarize it more simply here. I encourage you to read the article to get the medical explanations.

In addition to psychological and mental benefits already mentioned, data indicates that the Japanese version of "forest bathing" also has these physiological benefits:

  • lowers blood pressure
  • decreases stress hormone levels
  • protects against inflammatory disorders and allergies
  • helps the body combat disease by boosting production of natural killer immune cells that fight cancer tumors and viruses
  • enhances the ability of the brain to form new connections (neuroplasticity)
  • improves muscle endurance
  • helps produce stronger, denser bones
  • improves eyesight in children (near-sightedness) and adults (myopia)
  • may lower blood sugar levels in diabetics

The author of the article writes that the science is so convincing that other countries are following Japan's lead in studying and promoting nature as a cure. South Korea and Finland, for example, are pouring money into their own versions of woodland trails and fostering cooperation between the forestry and medical fields in their countries.

WHY NATURE THERAPY WORKS

This was one of the most interesting parts of the article to me.

Briefly, the physiological anthropologist who is primarily responsible for the development of the theories behind forest therapy, Yoshifumi Miyazaki, explains that because humans evolved in nature, it's where we continue to feel the most comfortable despite all the creature comforts and technology we embrace in the 21st Century.


More boulders near the peak of Sharp Top  (11-10-12)

Those "improvements" to our lives are but a speck in time relative to the millions of years humans have been evolving.

Miyazaki explains, "Throughout our evolution we've spent 99.9% of our time in natural environments. Our physiological functions are still adapted to it. During everyday life, a feeling of comfort can be achieved if our rhythms are synchronized with those of the environment."

That makes sense to me. That concept was also driven home in one of the books Jim and I really enjoyed, Younger Next Year, by Henry Lodge, MD and Chris Crowley.

IMPLICATIONS FOR US

Japanese people aren't the only ones who are stressed out.

It's probably just as stressful to live in the U.S. We've got our own high-density urban living conditions, long commutes to work, competition for colleges and jobs, economic uncertainty, natural and man-made disasters, and other stress-inducers.


Even the holidays cause a lot of stress for many people.  I smile when I see the bows someone places on 
a few trees along the trail at Chestnut Ridge in late November each year we're still in town this late.


Patriotic flag someone from the neighborhood placed on a tree along the trail  
to Stewart's Knob; that makes me smile, too, unless it was put there because
of the horrible school massacre in Connecticut yesterday.  (12-14-12)

We're also totally addicted to electronic devices in this country. Most kids and adults would rather stay inside and interact with their various screens than talk to people in person or, goodness gracious, actually get out in the woods or another calming place outdoors.

The article points out how significantly nature-based recreation has declined in the U.S. in the last four decades. Our health and human interactions are declining with it.


Jim (R) and our friend Steve after a tough but fun ride on the trails
at Carvin's Cove this morning  (12-15-12)

Here's some good news for those who either don't have much opportunity to go to a pleasant outdoor venue to unwind or are unwilling to seek such places:

The data from the research in Japan and elsewhere indicates that just looking at pictures of nature helps to calm the mind and body -- not nearly as much as being out where the phytoncides lurk in the forest (read the article to see what I'm talking about), but still a little bit beneficial.


There.  Don't you feel better just looking at this scenic view of
the Blue Ridge Mountains from Sharp Top??  (11-10-12)

Another encouraging finding that should motivate folks to get outsidemeasurable mental and physiological benefits have been found in research subjects even if they didn't enjoy their forest therapy experience because of bad weather.

The message is pretty clear that we still need to get outside on cold, rainy, windy, and/or snowy days for "forest bathing."


Who cares if it's overcast and in the 30s this morning? It's still a great day 
for a walk or bike ride in the woods around Carvin's Cove.  (12-15-12)

It's harder to get out the door when the weather is lousy but the rewards are there if you are in a natural place conducive to relaxation and mindful of your surroundings.

Here's another insight from me, not the articleif you want to master the art of thoroughly immersing yourself in the outdoors -- or just want to increase the fun factor -- take a dog with a keen sense of smell and hearing with you!

Seriously. A puppy is even better because everything is new to it and must be thoroughly inspected.


Cody should have had some sort of a scent job because his sense of smell is so keen.
(Harkening Hill in the Peaks of Otter, 11-16-12)


Casey-pup goes one further -- she also has to taste much of what she sniffs out.
(15 weeks, 11-30-12 on her first hike up Harkening Hill)

The five Labrador retrievers I've had have been excellent teachers in environmental awareness because they hear and smell so many things I'd have missed otherwise.

And yeah, they get a lot of nature's "snacks" along the way, too. Dead animals and horse poop are favorites. <frown>

NATURE'S RX IS PRETTY SIMPLE, REALLY

There are three links accompanying the online article on the left side of the first page. I recommend opening up all eight pages of the article on one page to make it easier to read offline (click on "view all pages"), then open the three links separately. Only one of the photos from the magazine article displays on these eight pages so it's mostly text.

One link is called "Free Medicine" by Madison Kahn. It lists more than a dozen ways research supports the therapeutic benefits of playing outside. The second is "The Nature Cure" with the other photos shown in the magazine.


Casey and Cody run ahead of me on the Stewart's Knob trail.  (11-28-12)

The third link is "Outside RX" written by Gretchen Reynolds:  six natural prescriptions for improving your mind and body. You can also open that link so all the pages are on one page to read offline.

I'll summarize the six "prescriptions" briefly here.

  • Reduce the amount of screen time on computers, smart phones, TVs, etc. Spend more time outside. Go "green" in that sense.
  • Get out of sterile urban environments, including your house, more often. Make contact with natural habitats to increase your exposure to microbes that help regulate the immune system.
  • Increase the amount of time you're around water. "Blue" is an important part of our well-being, too.
  • Regain your natural circadian rhythm with more sunlight.
  • Make time outdoors a part of daily life. Even five minutes help. Five days are better!


More boulders along the trail to Sharp Top  (11-10-12)

The 6th prescription will probably be anathema to some of our endurance running and cycling  friends: "train naked" as often as you can if you want the mental and physical benefits of de-stressing your life.

Studies show that electronics re-shape your experience in nature, resulting in less cognitive downtime and less mind-body restoration.

Go unplugged from electronic devices on some runs/hikes/rides. Listen to your body and what's around you. Be mindful of what you see, hear, and smell. Rather than detract from your overall training routine, some quiet time in the woods should enhance recovery on rest days.


Pretty fall colors at Chestnut Ridge  (10-23-12)

For thirty years I used to think I "didn't miss a thing" when I was running through the woods. I've heard other runners, even really fast ones, claim the same thing.

I didn't realize all the things I was missing until I had to stop running three years ago and "just walk."

One of my biggest regrets re: my running "career" is not taking more time when I did my Appalachian Trail Adventure Run/Hike in 2005. I was overly optimistic to think I could set a new female record on the AT at age 56.  As if.

I'm sorry I went so quickly that I missed much of what makes an AT thru-hike so rewarding.


Two of the outbuildings at the Old Johnson Farm at Peaks of Otter along the Blue Ridge Pkwy.
I missed a lot of similar historic places when I speed-hiked the AT.   (11-16-12)

If I had the insight then that I have now, I would still sleep in the camper at night instead of back-packing but I would do fewer miles each day, walk all of it "mindfully," take more time to talk with the other hikers, and take more days off to enjoy the local towns and activities along the way.

Jim would have had more fun crewing that way, too. The way we did it was very stressful to both of us. We're glad we did it, just wish we'd done it in a more relaxed fashion.

As I was preparing this entry I was looking at old topics pages in this journal to find the link to Younger Next Year.  Look what I found in the 2009 journal:  a heartfelt entry about my need for the wilderness, written soon after I discovered I could no longer run! It's also about the therapeutic benefits of nature. You might want to read it, too.

Next entry:  Probably a recap of what we've been up to this fall and winter and where we plan to go in our RV in January. Stay tuned.

Happy trails,

Sue
"Runtrails & Company" - Sue Norwood, Jim O'Neil, Cody the ultra Lab, and Casey-Pup

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© 2012 Sue Norwood and Jim O'Neil

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