Shinrin-yoku

AKA: Forest Bathing

Did you know that just 30 minutes a week of nature has a positive impact on both your mental and physical health? And 120 minutes a week can physiologically change your body and mind?

Forest bathing is a term I came across recently when I was reading a book on natural remedies, first studied in Japan. One of the studies done found that 20 minutes of forest bathing decreased stress by 13%. What is forest bathing you may ask? Exactly as it sounds - getting out into the forest for some time, and enjoying the scenery around you through your 5 senses.

I did some scouring around for articles online about it and came across this:

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In Japan, since 2004, serial studies have been conducted to investigate the effects of forest environments (Forest bathing/Shinrin-yoku) on human health…

It has been reported that Forest bathing/Shinrin-yoku has the following beneficial effects on human health:

1. Shinrin-yoku increases human natural killer (NK) activity, the number of NK cells, and the intracellular levels of anti-cancer proteins, suggesting a preventive effect on cancers.

2. Shinrin-yoku reduces blood pressure and heart rate showing preventive effect on hypertension and heart diseases.

3. Shinrin-yoku reduces stress hormones, such as urinary adrenaline and noradrenaline and salivary/serum cortisol contributing to stress management.

4. Shinrin-yoku increases the activity of parasympathetic nerves and reduces the activity of sympathetic nerves to stabilize the balance of autonomic nervous system.

5. Shinrin-yoku improve sleep.

6. Shinrin-yoku increases the levels of serum adiponectin and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate.

7. In the Profile of Mood States (POMS) test, Shinrin-yoku reduces the scores for anxiety, depression, anger, fatigue, and confusion, and increases the score for vigor, showing preventive effects on depression.

8. Shinrin-yoku may apply to rehabilitation medicine

9. Shinrin-yoku in city parks also has benefits on human health.

10. Shinrin-yoku may have preventive effect on COVID-19 by boosting immune function and by reducing mental stress.

Effects of forest environment (Shinrin-yoku/Forest bathing) on health promotion and disease prevention —the Establishment of “Forest Medicine”

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But what if you’re not near a forest? Well, lucky for you and I both, nature as a whole is rewarding. Another study found that 50 minutes of walking in nature can improve working memory function by about 20% and listening to nature sounds for just 10 minutes can have similar impact on the brain and body.

We know that nature has positive effects on health as a whole - that’s why it’s highly recommended among all health professionals for both physical and mental wellness. In fact, many professionals suggest that if you can’t get out into nature like that, a house plant, a picture/painting, etc. can be just as beneficial. Below are 2 lists - 1 for those who can’t get outdoors much, and 1 for those who can.

For those who may not be able to get out as much, especially outdoors, there are some great alternative options.

1. Houseplants

2. YouTube videos of natural scenery and sounds

3. Petting an animal

4. Going to an aquarium

5. Paintings/Pictures

6. Lowe’s/Home Depot plant section

7. Drive through safaris/wildlife

8. Gardening

9. Nature documentaries

For those interested/able to get out into nature a bit more:

1. Hiking

2. Camping

3. Kayaking

4. Canoeing

5. Birdwatching

6. Gardening

7. Picnicking

8. Rock Climbing

9. Cycling

10. Trail Running

11. Fishing

12. Stargazing

13. Nature Photography

14. Outdoor Yoga

15. Foraging

16. Wildlife Watching

17. Beach Combing

18. Forest Bathing

19. Volunteering for Conservation

20. Visiting a Botanical Garden

21. Mushroom Hunting

22. Geocaching

23. Horseback Riding

24. Slacklining

25. Outdoor Painting

26. Nature Journaling

27. Building a Bonfire

28. Snowshoeing

29. Ice Skating on a Natural Pond

Whatever you are interested in, there’s a lot of things you can do to get into some nature. What do you plan to do this week? Let me know in the comments below 👇