Healthy walk on wild side
FOR fairly obvious reasons I’ve always been a great advocate of the great outdoors, not least for all the wildlife and countryside you can see, both locally and further afield, but there are hidden benefits which have never been more useful for our physical and mental health.
The latter is particularly relevant in these troubling times and you don’t need me telling you why that is, but a simple half-hour walk can literally do you the world of good.
Whether you see a robin or an eagle is irrelevant, although an added bonus.
My personal favourite place is among the trees or by water, preferably the wild Atlantic, but reservoirs, canals, small rivers and lakes all provide that calming aura.
Red foliage in a drystone wall, hare sculpture, girls in the wood and a little post-box vignette in Top Mossley have all made me smile in recent weeks.
Graveyards can be a wonderful place to discover a little serenity.
Walking allows us to discover peaceful places, where we can take a moment to listen to the birds, feel the breeze on our face or watch the sun filtering through the trees.
Spending time in nature can help reduce anxiety and depression, according to the nature and mental health report produced by mental health charity Mind.
It also states that being outside in natural light either in the open or woodland can lift a person’s mood, especially during the winter.
Forest bathing or ‘shinrin-yoku’ was first developed in Japan in the 1980s, following scientific studies conducted by the government.
The results showed that two hours of mindful exploration in a forest could reduce blood pressure, lower cortisol (stress hormone) levels and improve concentration and memory.
They also found that trees release chemicals called phytoncides, which have an anti-microbial effect on human bodies, boosting the immune system.
As a result of this research, the Japanese government introduced ‘shinrin-yoku’ as a national health programme.
Over the last few years forest bathing has begun to gain popularity in the UK.
Many of us naturally head outside as a way to unwind and feel refreshed, but the benefits of ‘nature therapy’ are also backed up by science: in 2018 academics at the University of Derby found that improving a person’s connection with nature led to significant increases in their wellbeing.
Forest bathing is no more complicated than simply going for a wander in your local woods or park.
Take the time to really focus on the natural world around you: from the rays of sunlight catching the leaves to birdsong echoing from the undergrowth.
There is no finer game than playing hide and seek with a wren; they are not called Troglodytes for nothing, hiding away as they do in the darkest thickets.
Pick a quieter time of day.
There will be fewer people around if you go to the woods in the early morning or later in the evening.
Try turning off your electronic devices.
An hour or two of digital detoxing will help you to slow down and focus on your surroundings, although it can also be very therapeutic taking photographs with your mobile phone and then sharing the experience with friends.
Mind also recommend writing about your walks, maybe even keep a diary; little activities can help your mental health and wellbeing.
There is no doubt that we are going through tough times and there is no shame in feeling down; my personal contribution to the debate was penned while sitting beneath the shelter of a tree; even the stoutest oak can bend in the wind.
I still get a great kick out of thinking of an idea for an article and then polishing off the 700 words in half an hour; it sets me up for the day.
Just as this piece has done, so I’m clicking ‘save’ and off for a 10,000 steps morning from Top Mossley to Greenfield and back.
I’m not suggesting you go as mad as me at 67 trying to get rid of this COVID weight gain, but if you can why not.
I did 20,000 last Monday and then a very special 10,000 steps, mostly uphill, in Kirkennan Woodlands near my Scottish hideaway and met my new best friend, Big Fella, pictured here; a Douglas Fir I think, so tall I couldn’t see the canopy.
A good start in a lovely place.
Because of the geographical situation, a steep hill with thick mixed forest between the Solway Firth and flat farmland, this could be described as Atlantic Woodland or Temperate Rain Forest, a super rare habitat in Scotland.
Going up and going down I was in and out of mist, localised rain fell when the sky was blue and cloud covered cobwebs at 1pm.
For transparency, I was nineteen and half stone in old money and will keep you posted.