Leisure activity in nature effectively reduces the risk of illness – healing practice

Leisure activities in nature not only promote physical activity, but also reduce the risk of a number of non-communicable diseases such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes.

In a new study involving researchers from University of Exeter estimated the impact of nature-based physical activity on health and societal costs of illness using a representative cross-sectional survey of the British population. The results are published in the specialist journal “Environment International” published.

Consequences of lack of exercise

Physical inactivity is associated with a variety of non-communicable diseases (including mental illness), which impose high medical costs on society, the team says.

74 percent of deaths worldwide are due to non-communicable diseases, including heart disease and diabetes, the researchers report, citing figures from World Health Organization (WHO).

How active should we be?

According to WHO recommendations, people aged 18 to 64 should do at least 150 to 300 minutes per week of moderate intensity or 75 to 150 minutes per week of intensive aerobic activity to maintain their health, the experts explain.

However, this level of aerobic activity is not achieved by 27.5 percent of adults worldwide, putting themselves at an avoidable increased risk of non-communicable diseases.

Movement against non-communicable diseases

According to the researchers, there has been a significant increase in non-communicable diseases in most countries in recent years, which underlines the importance of effective preventive measures to protect the population.

Exercise is such a preventative measure and many use parks or other open spaces or natural areas for this purpose. In the current study, the researchers determined how high the proportion of the British population actually engages in physical activity in the great outdoors and what positive health effects can be derived from this.

It was also estimated how many cases of severe depression, type 2 diabetes, ischemic heart disease, ischemic strokes, colon and breast cancer could be prevented through physical activity in nature.

Nature encourages movement

The data analysis showed that a natural environment (in the study, the team focused primarily on beaches and coasts, open landscapes and urban open spaces such as parks) promotes physical activity in leisure time.

Specifically, in the year of the study (2019), a total of 12,763 cases of non-communicable diseases were prevented through physical activity that took place at least once a week in a natural environment, the team reports.

This has saved the English healthcare system around €127 million in costs this year and as chronic illnesses can affect people for many years, the long-term savings are much higher.

In addition, in the current study, researchers only focused on six of the most common non-communicable diseases and there are a number of other diseases that can also be prevented through physical activity.

“We have certainly underestimated the true value of physical activity in nature in preventing disease“, summarizes the study author Dr. James Grellier in one Press release.

Movement in nature

Physical activity in nature also offers the advantage of being an accessible yet effective way for people who cannot or do not want to participate in organized sports or fitness activities to protect themselves from non-communicable diseases and improve their health.

According to the researchers, it would therefore be appropriate to invest more money in natural areas such as parks, as these make it easier for people to be physically active and thus reduce their risk of illness. (as)