Researchers at the University of Utah have provided scientific backing to the idea, first proposed by American authors John Muir and Henry David Thoreau over 150 years ago, that spending time in nature benefits not just the heart and soul, but also the brain.
Psychologists Amy McDonnell and David Strayer’s latest research uses a technique called electroencephalography (EEG) to measure how nature walks affect the brain’s attentional capacity.
Their study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, demonstrates that a nature walk can enhance brain functions related to executive control, which includes tasks like planning, problem-solving, and concentration.
This goes beyond the benefits of exercise alone, contributing to a broader understanding of how nature affects both physical and mental health.
The university has established a research group called Nature and Human Health Utah, focusing on the human-nature relationship and its impact on health.
This comes amid growing concerns that modern lifestyles, filled with technology and urban settings, are distancing people from nature, which could be detrimental to health.
The team explains the concept of biophilia – the inherent human affinity for nature, shaped by evolution. They contrast this with today’s tech-saturated urban environments, which are far removed from the restorative natural settings.
Famous for his research on multitasking and distracted driving due to cellphone use, Strayer’s lab has spent the past decade examining how nature influences cognition.
Conducted between April and October 2022, the study involved 92 participants. Each person’s brain activity was recorded using EEG before and after a 40-minute walk.
The participants were divided into two groups: one walked through the Red Butte Garden, a natural arboretum, while the other walked through an urban, asphalt-rich medical campus.
Before the walk, participants were subjected to a mentally exhausting task of counting backwards from 1,000 in sevens, followed by an attention task.
This was done to deplete their attentional reserves. Then, they walked their respective routes without electronic devices or conversation. Both paths were two miles long with similar elevation changes, but offered drastically different environments.
The study aims to shed light on the cognitive benefits of nature exposure and supports the growing belief in the importance of integrating natural environments into our urban spaces for better mental health and cognitive functioning.
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The research findings can be found in Scientific Reports.
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