A study by researchers from the University of Copenhagen and the University of Verona highlights the benefits of exercising in nature over indoor workouts. Participants reported lower stress levels and increased motivation after outdoor activities. The study, though limited, suggests that natural environments offer superior conditions for physical and mental well-being.
Why Exercising in Nature Beats the Gym: New Study Reveals Surprising Benefits
Why Exercising in Nature Beats the Gym: New Study Reveals Surprising Benefits
Exercising on a gym treadmill is beneficial, but working out in the forest is even better.
"People are less stressed after exercising in nature," says Stefano De Dominicis from the University of Copenhagen.
Researchers from the University of Copenhagen and the University of Verona have published a study in the September issue of the scientific journal Psychology of Sports and Exercise. The study concludes that walking or jogging in the forest provides numerous health benefits compared to performing the same activities on a gym treadmill, as reported by Danish DR.
"People are less stressed after exercising in nature," says Stefano De Dominicis, Associate Professor at the Department of Sports and Nutrition at the University of Copenhagen and one of the researchers behind the study, to DR.
The study involved 25 young men and is thus both small and not yet tested on older individuals, the very young, or women.
However, the results in this limited case are still considered clear. The men walked briskly for an hour in three different environments – a natural area, an urban route, and an indoor gym environment. After the walks, their mood, stress levels, and physical exertion were measured.
The outdoor environment provided the best conditions.
"Those who trained in an outdoor environment were more recovered and more motivated to do it again," says Stefano.
"Forest Bathing" and "Touch Grass" Are More Than Buzzwords
Some may remember the term "forest bathing," which became a new word in 2017.
It was partly laughed at.
Should one let oneself be bathed in nature? Surely it's enough to say you're going for a walk in the woods. But "forest bathing" actually originated from the Japanese term shinrin-yoku. By reconnecting with the forest – slowing down and connecting with nature – we can "bathe" our senses. It makes us feel good, much like gently bathing our face in sunshine.
Others may be familiar with the expression "touch grass," which has some popularity, especially among young people, on social media as a way to show how one leaves the connected life, if only for a moment. To touch the grass with fingers or toes.
Perhaps it is from the perspective of forest bathing or grass touching that one should view the exercise study, which is one of the first to examine both the physical and psychological effects of exercising in nature compared to other environments.
Indoor Isn't Bad – Just Less Effective
"We're not saying it's bad to exercise in the city or indoors. Just that in some cases, you can get a little more out of it by doing it in nature," says Stefano De Dominicis. We have evolved in nature throughout history and have really only lived indoors for the past thousand years.
Therefore, Stefano argues, it is beneficial to be in calm, natural surroundings.
"If you exercise outdoors in nature, it feels good in a different way, and it can motivate you even more to continue."