{"id":2726,"date":"2016-08-06T01:26:54","date_gmt":"2016-08-06T08:26:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/explore.globalcreations.com\/theblog\/?p=2726"},"modified":"2016-08-04T22:33:08","modified_gmt":"2016-08-05T05:33:08","slug":"the-proper-dose-of-nature","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/explore.globalcreations.com\/theblog\/featured\/the-proper-dose-of-nature\/","title":{"rendered":"The Proper Dose of Nature"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Wooded<\/p>\n

There has been a lot of research on the importance of getting outdoors in a natural setting. \u00a0That research and the general feelings people have had on the subject for centuries has led to the creation of lots of parks and other opportunities to enjoy the outdoors. \u00a0We summed up those findings in our review of Health Parks Healthy People: the State of the Evidence 2015<\/em><\/a>. Unfortunately that research hasn’t determined how much nature or how often one should get out in it for the best outcomes. \u00a0If we knew more about that, \u00a0cities, for example, \u00a0could \u00a0design parks to better supply what their residents need. \u00a0Further, \u00a0Doctors that are now prescribing nature to their patients would be better able to prescribe an appropriate dose.<\/p>\n

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“There is growing recognition of the crucial role of urban green spaces in addressing this public health challenge, with over 40 years of research showing that experiences of nature are linked to a remarkable breadth of positive health outcomes. This includes improved physical health (e.g. reduced blood pressure and allergies, lower mortality from cardio-vascular disease, improved self-perceived general health), improved mental wellbeing (e.g. reduced stress and improved restoration), greater social wellbeing, and promotion of positive health behaviors (e.g. physical activity). \u00a0 \u2013\u00a0Health Benefits from Nature Experiences Depend on Dose<\/em><\/p><\/div><\/div>\n

Researching the Nature Dose Question<\/h1>\n

The Healthy Parks Healthy People<\/em> publication came out of Australia and the Australians have now published a study that answers some of the questions about the proper dose of nature. \u00a0This new study quantifies the relationship between health results and the dose of nature in terms of intensity, frequency\u00a0and duration. \u00a0To do that they asked 1538 residents of Brisbane, Australia about their health and where and how much exercise they got over the course of a week. \u00a0With this data they were able to identify the intensity of nature in terms of the vegetative complexity in the places the people exercised. \u00a0Since they learned\u00a0directly from the people about health issues and the frequency and duration of their experiences, they were able to link all of this data together and draw some interesting conclusions:\"Park<\/p>\n