Outdoor therapy is good for you
Where is your happy place? Is it at the top of Apex Mountain, overlooking our beautiful valley, or at the beach, soaking up the sun? Maybe it is hitting the trails with your boots, bike or sled? Or perhaps it is just chilling on your back porch?
Regardless of where your happy place is, typically we all share one thing in common – it’s the outdoors.
According to research by the National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health (2015), “the effects of greenspace consistently relate to underlying components of mental wellbeing – such as stress, anxiety and mood.” So it’s no wonder that when we play or relax outdoors, it makes us feel good.
Sadly, we have become sedentary and reliant on our electronic devices, particularly during the pandemic, when more of our daily activities and interactions moved online.
In 2020, about 60% of Canadian men and 66% of Canadian women reported an increase in TV and internet use (Statistics Canada, 2020). We all have heard, know or maybe felt the effects of too much screen time but somehow it is easier to pick up the phone to play a game than it is to put on our shoes and go for a walk.
Not only does being outdoors make us feel good, but it also has other correlated health benefits. The Canadian Parks and Recreation Association’s states that, “Connecting with nature is associated with improved cognitive, mental and physical health, enhanced creativity and social behaviours.”
Researchers around the world are continuing to look at the benefits of nature from behaviour issues in children, anxiety, depression, blood pressure and cancer treatment and more. It has been proven that “tree therapy” is real and while Disney may have coined the phrase – “the happiest place on earth” — I would argue that being in nature is where people are the happiest.
As we have hit second winter and may have another false spring before winter is really over, get outdoors.
If you're looking for something new, here are a few activities to try with friends or family:
1. Outdoor skating – amazingly, there are three options in our local area: Activate Penticton Rink by City Hall, Penticton Lakeside Resort & Convention Centre or Apex Mountain Resort Skating Loop
2. Downhill skiing at Apex Mountain Resort
3. Cross-country skiing Nickel Plate Nordic Centre
4.Hit the trails with a fat bike or snowshoes
5. Birding or scavenger hunts
6. Walking in a park
If you are new to exploring the outdoors, Recreation Penticton is offering Eco-Tours. Our expert Heiko Ryll will introduce you to not only local trails but will also provide education on local wildlife and vegetation.
He will also provide suggestions for photography, because the memory of every hike needs to be captured!
Hikes this spring will include Skaha Bluffs and Cartwright Mountain. You will also get to enjoy mountainside coffee and have a chance to soak in all the tree therapy that the Okanagan has to offer.
For more information on EcoTours and other programs offered by Recreation Penticton, visit penticton.ca/recreation or call the Community Centre at 250-490-2426.
See you outside!