Take a Walk Through the Park
By Rachel Garrod
It is intuitive that living near green spaces or having access to parks and forests should make us feel better, and there is much research to suggest that positive benefits are physical as well as mental.
Studies show that people who live near green spaces have lower levels of cortisol (a stress hormone) compared with those living in mainly urban areas. There seem to be positive benefits for cardiovascular health and even a lower risk of death after a stroke if living near green areas.
Although having better access to green areas is conducive to increased physical activity such as cycling and walking, it appears that the benefits of being near green spaces are to some extent independent of the amount of physical activity undertaken.
A new study has raised the intriguing concept of “brain fatigue” as a potential explanation for these benefits. Until recently researchers were only able to measure brainwave activity in the lab. However, researchers from Edinburgh came up with the idea of using a novel portable machine that measures brainwaves during activity.
Wearing unobtrusive electrodes hidden beneath an ordinary cap, the participants were asked to walk a route that consisted of three distinct areas. The walkers passed through an older historic shopping district in Edinburgh with only light traffic, they then walked through a park area and they finally ended the half hour walk by strolling through a busy commercial district with large volumes of traffic and plenty of concrete buildings.
The measurements taken during the walk allowed the researchers to determine that when walking through the park area the brainwave patterns showed a more “contemplative” mood compared with the higher “arousal” and “frustration” associated with the urban areas. This change in brainwave pattern may be the link between reduced stress and the presence of green areas, with the brain “regenerating” itself during the walk in the park.
If that all sounds a bit too “Dr Who”, well don’t worry: just take a stroll through one of the many stunning park areas here in Marbella and meditate on what a joy it is to live within an area of such natural beauty.
Rachel Garrod PhD MSc is a physiotherapy lecturer and stop smoking counsellor
Tel. (+34) 652 281 122 x
www.healthholidaysmarbella.healthblogs.org
Guest blogger: www.marbellaazul.com
