My husband and I 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 green exercise with benefits for your body and mind.
Green exercise is simply exercise in the presence of nature. In a meta-analysis study done in the UK, it was found large benefits from short durations of green exercise. Every green environment improved both self-esteem and mood, but the presence of water generated even greater effects.
According to many medical doctors such as Dr. Leigh Erin Connealy and Dr. Robert Lustig, exercise boosts the immune function while increasing T cells and the mitochondria in the cell. Mitochondria are the battery packs or energy for our cells. Exercise also lowers our risk for cancer, and pumps our lymphatic system to take out the trash in our bodies. Every system in our body is enhanced by exercise.
In the cancer journey, I used exercise to manage the stress that a cancer journey brings and to improve my prognosis. The next morning after my surgery, I walked two miles on the hospital floor. It felt good to move, but my surgeon applauded me when she came to check on me. She said, ”Ginny, you’ve only promoted healing in your body by pumping out the anesthesia, jumpstarting your organs, reducing your risk of blood clots, and helping to drain off the excess fluids from your surgery.” She released me a day early and pulled all my surgery drains that usually stay in for weeks. And what did my husband and I do after being released? We walked home through the beautiful park outside the hospital! What a great way to promote healing and elevate mood.
When it was time for chemotherapy, I did the same thing to reduce stress. We walked through the park 2 miles to the infusion center. Then 8 hours later after chemotherapy was over, we walked back through the park. And we walked in a scenic place 3-4 miles every day in between. Later research in Australia and at MD Anderson would show that exercise is the best thing a cancer patient in treatment can do. You do what you can when you can, but it actually helps you to survive chemo and it enhances your immunotherapy. But adding the bonus of doing it while enjoying God’s beautiful creation is definitely an bonus for boosting mood and relieving stress.
Do you love to spend time walking on the beach? It’s one of our favorite things to do each day when we’re at the beach.
Is it any wonder that we love skiing in the mountains?
There’s nothing we enjoy more than biking in nature. Whether at the beach, in the Fjords of Norway, or biking down a mountain path. When we travel the world, we love to include biking excursions. We’ve biked down the mountain in Maui, up the mountain in Greece, down the Fjords in Norway, and through forests and on beaches. There are days when we bike 15 or more miles. My husband’s surgeon told him that biking is one of the best things you can do after knee repair surgery.
On our recent trip to Australia and New Zealand, we sailed on the sailboat that won the World Cup in 1995. It was exhilarating to glide through the water with blue hues all around us and the wind gently blowing on our skin. My husband and I both got to steer this elegant sailboat. According to the study in the UK, the presence of this beautiful water generated even greater effects.
It only takes five minutes to produce an impact on your mood, health, and self-esteem. Activities include such things as swimming, kayaking, sailing, biking, hiking, walking, dancing, 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 to walk outside where we see trees, landscaping, water, and mountains. The benefits of exercise in nature are too good to pass up.
If you’re depressed or stressed, a walk in the woods or by the ocean can elevate your mood by producing neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine. When I’m stressed or feeling depressed, my first inclination is to walk or bike in nature. God’s creation is beautiful and He is worthy of our praise. So enjoy it as you breathe in fresh air and promote healing in your body with movement.
Exercise is powerful and beneficial and so is nature—appreciating God’s beautiful creation. When we put the two together, it’s even more powerful for our mood and health.
So what’s your favorite exercise to do in nature?
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The Benefits of Exercise in Nature
And don’t forget to sign up to attend the Healthy Living Summit on March 12th. There will be lots of great speakers who give valuable information. I will be speaking at 4:15 pm.
Here’s the link to sign up to attend The Healthy Living Summit on March 12:
For Your Health,
Ginny
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.
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