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I’m the first to admit I really don’t enjoy exercising in a gym.
All that sweat and toil does not bring me joy.

But put me in a natural setting, whether a beach, park or bushland, and I’ll happily go for a walk or a cycle.

I’ll spend longer outside being physically active than I would ever spend in a gym where I’m counting down the minutes before I can escape.

It feels good to be outside. But it’s more than being physically active and working those muscles; it’s also about feeling less stressed, more relaxed, and enjoying the natural environment.

Is that true for you as well?

We are blessed in Australia to have easy access to some form of nature, even in our big cities, meaning we really don’t have any excuse not to take advantage of spending time outside.

I get that busy days and hectic schedules can make it feel like you don’t have the time or the energy.

But here’s the thing.
Setting the intention to get outside, even for a short time, provides benefits.

Best of all, when you recognise you feel better, it’s no longer a burden; you want to get out and about.

Then, it’s more a matter of building that consistency of habit.

Sometimes, we need to give ourselves permission to do more for our own health.
Sometimes, we also need a bit of a nudge from our nearest and dearest, who are worried about what they see for our future.

It’s something I frequently ask in my workshops.
How will you achieve your goals in life if you fail to take care of your health and well-being?

So what if you’ve been told that you already have a health issue?

 Is it possible to incorporate those things that you enjoy- like spending time in nature to boost your well-being and manage your health more effectively?

The answer is a resounding yes.

 

How time in nature can assist those living with diabetes.

It’s estimated that 2 million Australians are currently living with or have undiagnosed diabetes, and the number is growing at the rate of 300 people a day.

To put this in context, the prevalence of diabetes has more than tripled over the last 25 years.

Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disease that impacts every part of the body. It is linked to many complications, including heart, kidney, vascular and eye disease. It’s not something that can be treated lightly.

However, there is much we can do to help protect ourselves from developing type 2 diabetes in the first place and to manage it effectively using lifestyle medicine interventions.

Following a healthy diet based on the Mediterranean pattern of nutrition, being sufficiently physically active, keeping your weight in the healthy range, managing your stress as best you can and getting a good night’s sleep can all make a difference.

And there’s something else as well.

What if you knew that simply going for a regular walk could help protect you from developing type two diabetes as well as heart disease, stroke, depression, chronic lung disease and certain cancers?

Work by the University of Exeter has revealed that nature-based physical activity is a viable option for those who don’t have access, the desire, or the confidence to participate in organised sports or fitness activities.

Their work has found that more than 13,000 cases of non-communicable diseases (like diabetes) are potentially avoidable each year, which would save the NHS AU $2 million or 100 million pounds.

It’s not that we don’t know how important it is to stay sufficiently active, but 78% of us fail to meet the recommended guidelines of 150 -300 minutes of moderate exercise and muscle-strengthening activities each week and the proportion of those who are inactive is higher in women and increases with age.

There are a multitude of reasons why, but fatigue, lack of time, lack of accessibility to gyms, physical difficulty and the financial burden are often cited.

In Australia, in 2018-19, physical inactivity accounted for $2.4 billion in health spending.

 

How does time in nature help?

1. It improves glycaemic control.

Research conducted back in 1997 recognised that forest bathing and walking effectively lowers blood glucose levels in people with type two diabetes.

A study investigated changes in glycaemic control following time spent outdoors in a small group of women with type 2 diabetes. It showed that adding 30 minutes of time outdoors did help. Further studies with a larger cohort and for a longer duration of time are now needed.

Another small study found that exposure to natural light led to blood glucose levels remaining at a normal level for longer. This was confirmed in another study of 10,000 individuals where increased exposure to sunlight was found to significantly impact blood glucose levels, cholesterol levels and insulin sensitivity.

Vitamin D is mainly obtained from exposure to UV light and is known to significantly enhance insulin sensitivity, stimulate insulin release by the pancreas, and lower inflammation.

 

2. Enjoying nature reduces inflammation.

Systemic inflammation is associated with chronic diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s cancer, and arthritis. A recent study sought to examine the impact of certain inflammation markers and showed that people who reported more frequent pleasant encounters in nature, as in were able to see beautiful scenery, or enjoyed being out in fresh air or felt appreciative of the nature around them had lower levels of C-reactive protein in their blood. Forest bathing has also been shown to positively affect immune function.

While the relationship between spending time in nature and lowering inflammation appears solid, further studies are needed to determine which factors of being in nature can improve health.

 

3. It reduces stress. 

Stress stimulates the sympathetic nervous system, which elevates blood pressure, heart rate and blood sugar.

Chronic stress can also aggravate sleep difficulties or lead to maladaptive behaviours or self-soothing, like drinking more alcohol than usual, overeating, or overworking.

Increasing your level of physical activity by getting outside works to counteract your stress by stimulating the release of endorphins, your natural mood boosters, and lowering your overall level of stress.

The remaining question is not just about how to encourage more physical activity but how to get the message across that spending more time in nature is the perfect way to engage in something that is pleasant, enjoyable and good for us all.

 

Do you use time outside to keep yourself well?

Dr Jenny Brockis

Dr Jenny Brockis is a medical practitioner and board-certified lifestyle medicine physician, workplace health and wellbeing consultant, keynote speaker and best-selling author. Her new book The Natural Advantage (Major Street Publishing) is now available.

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