The Benefits of Exercise in Nature

Since my husband and I are the parents of three sons, our situation nudged us toward exploring God’s creation. We love to hike and bike in the most beautiful places which display the handiwork of God. We’ve taken our boys to most of this country’s National Parks. It’s our favorite thing to do as a family and that continues until today. It’s comforting to know that research backs nature bathing or exercise in nature with benefits for your mood, health, and self-esteem.

Green exercise is simply exercise in the presence of nature. In a meta-analysis study done in the UK, large benefits were found from short durations of green exercise. Every green environment improved both self-esteem and mood, but the presence of water generated even greater effects. It’s no secret that this cancer survivor snow skied and did the Cooper River Bridge Run (walking) while undergoing chemo and immunotherapy.

Is it any wonder that we love to spend time walking on the beach?

The Brant family loves to play, walk, and swim at the beach. A little bit of sunshine is good for us, too.

Is it any wonder that we love skiing in the mountains?

Our favorite place to ski is in Lake Tahoe at Heavenly. Why? The beautiful lake and mountains are spectacular.

Is it any wonder we love hiking in nature?

Our son, Harrison, loves to explore and hike in the wilderness. This is in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Is it any wonder we love biking in nature?

Is it any wonder we love our National Parks?

It only takes five minutes to produce an impact on your mood, health, and self-esteem. Activities include biking, hiking, walking, skiing, yoga, or working in your garden. My favorite yoga time was on the beach in Hawaii as the sun was rising. My husband and I walk each day, but we strongly prefer walking outside where we see trees, landscaping, water, and/or mountains. The best thing we could do during the Covid-19 pandemic was to exercise outdoors. The benefits of exercise in nature are too good to pass up.

What exercises do you like to do in nature?

For Your Health,

Ginny

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Ginny Dent Brant is a speaker and writer who grew up in the halls of power in Washington, DC. She has battled cancer, ministered around the world, and served on the front lines of American culture as a counselor, educator, wellness advocate, and adjunct professor. Brant’s award-winning book, Finding True Freedom: From the White House to the World, was endorsed by Chuck Colson and featured in many TV and media interviews. Unleash Your God-Given Healing: Eight Steps to Prevent and Survive Cancer was released in May 2020 after her journey with cancer and was recently awarded the First Place Golden Scrolls Award for Memoirs, and Second Place in both Selah Awards for Memoirs and Director’s Choice Award for Nonfiction at the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writer’s Conference. It recently received the Christian Authors Network’s (CAN) Gold Award for Excellence in Marketing for reaching 62.5 million people with a message of cancer prevention and survival. It was written with commentary from an oncologist and was featured on CBN’s Healthy Living Show, Atlanta Live, and CTN’s Homekeepers along with over 75 media outlets. Learn more and cancer and wellness prevention blog and book information at www.ginnybrant.com.