The Value of Hiking in the Wilderness!
As 2018 has just started, and it might be a long distance run for many of us, let’s see if we can put the right ingredients together into our backpack! …
Everyone knows about the benefits of physical exercise to our general health, fitness and a « feel good » moment following the effort (just before the fresh beer!). Even better if you’re practicing in a nice natural environment. No need to follow Mike Horn in the middle of nowhere to reach that stage! But let’s go a bit further and see what modern medical technologies have unearthed recently. You may reconsider some priorities …
A recent article published by James Horrox (https://medium.com/@jameshorrox/the-science-of-hiking-53e8260ab46d) illustrates what a closer contact to Nature can bring us. But let’s start from the beginning and realize why things are not always going in the proper direction …
« Over the last few decades, the restorative effects of nature — understood intuitively by writers and artists for centuries— have become a key focus of scientific research. With more than 50% of the world’s population now living in cities, interest in the ramifications of our increasing alienation from the natural world has led to an increased understanding of the importance of nature exposure in terms of its impact on our psychological well-being ».
This sets the stage. Unfortunately, this widespread urbanization is highly correlated with:
- rising in mental illness,
- a severe strain on our cognitive functions,
- decreasing capabilities in attentional capacity and in creative problem solving,
- development of psychological disorders.
Can we do something about it? Yes, and it can be not that complicated …
« A walk in the countryside is rich in unique characteristics that will do more for the human brain than any amount of time on a treadmill ever can, and in a rapidly urbanising world, the findings of ongoing research in this field will inevitably have ever more profound and far-reaching implications. »
Take a complete read of James Horrox article, and then decide on what you’ll do next, … and where!
Feel free to add your own testimonials and comments. Thanks.
Enjoy the next hiking, wherever you are! …
Photo Credit: www.canva.com