Health Benefits of Spending Time in Nature

I have recently noticed the benefits of spending time in nature. I figured it was due to vitamin D, but I ran across this article and it seems there are several health benefits of spending time in nature. Chronic illness demands us to get every boost we can, so why not spend more time in a natural environment?

Boosts short-term memory

Raise your hand if your memory is trash. I think to some extent everyone has memory issues. Every once in a while I pull a Dory and say something to my husband that I just said minutes ago. It cracks us up. It usually happens when I am having a rougher day with brain fatigue.

The article references two studies in which people performed a memory test after either walking around an arboretum/forest or a city. People did significantly better on the memory test after walking in a forest which may demonstrate nature’s ability to improve short-term memory.

Reduces stress

The article mentioned a few studies where people’s cortisol (stress hormone) levels were lower after spending time outside or even looking outside a window. This may be meaningful for people with POTS/ME where there is a hyperadrenergic state. When cortisol levels are reduced, the hyperadrenergic state is reduced. Our brain perpetuates the state our bodies are in. So, if our body is in a hyperadrenergic state, our brain lays neural pathways to perpetuate it. If we combat that hyperadrenergic state by doing activites that decrease it like being outside, deep breathing, and meditating, we may reap both short-term and long-term benefits due to the way the brain works.

Reduces inflammation

The article references two studies indicating that spending time in nature may reduce inflammation in the body. The studies show decreased levels of inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress in the groups that spent time in nature vs. a city. Both inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress are shown to be increased in people with ME. These types of indicators also perpetuate autoimmunity. Research continues to show autoimmunity as a potential cause of POTS. It seems that being outside may impact certain factors that are involved in the pathogenesis of ME and POTS.

Improves mental energy and concentration

The article mentions a few studies indicating that being in nature or viewing nature improves mental energy and concentration. It seems that part of the mechanism of why this helps is due to the restorative nature of being in an environment without hustle and bustle, having to scan for cars, etc. This mechanism reminds me of how the nervous systems in POTS and ME are oversensitized. It seems like a restorative environment would be useful for brain fog.

Boosts the immune system

The study the article links about this is fascinating. People who spent time in a forest had improved Natural Killer (NK) cell activity. NK cells kill viruses and tumors. That improved NK activity continued for 30 days after being in the forest. That’s encouraging to me that every small effort of spending time outside is worth it.

How I incorporate the outdoors

I live in a rural area so the scenery is pretty natural. In the summer I play outside with the kids in the afternoon. I feel like that is enough. On the weekends we like to go for “adventures” and either walk outside of town or go to a forest.

Now that the weather has started getting colder and I keep getting sick, I haven’t been as good about getting outside. My plan is to either play outside with the kids after school or go for a walk each day. Our winters get very bitter cold and windy, so I will have to figure out how to not become a human popsicle in the process.

How do you incorporate time outdoors?

Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. Statements on this site are not meant to be taken as medical advice. These statements reflect my personal experiences having mild-ish post-viral POTS and ME. Due to the wide spectrum of these diseases, comorbidities, and everyone being different, your experiences may be very different than mine.

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