Archive for May, 2012

Two doctors provide the best excuses yet for going outdoors

The warmth of the sun on your skin, the sounds of the birds in the trees – stepping outside can help anyone feel instantly better. But it beyond your mood: In their new book, Your Brian on Nature, Eva Sellhub, MD, and naturopath Alan Logan explore the incredible physiological effects of being outdoors – including increased immune activity and less perceived effort during exercise (see ya, treadmill!). Read on for five research-backed ways to experience nature’s healing touch.

Notice the scenery

Just looking at a natural scene activates parts of the brain associated with balance and happiness. In a study at South Korea’s Chonnam National University, fMRI scans showed that when subjects saw images of mountains, forests, and other landscapes, they experienced heightened activity in the anterior cingulate gyrus (which is linked to positive outlook and emotional stability) and the basal ganglia (an area that’s been tied to the recollection of happy memories).

Reap while you sow.

Norwegian researchers discovered that subjects with moderate-severe depression who participated in a horticultural program experienced reduced symptoms after 12 weeks. “Humans are innately engaged in nature”, says study author Marianne Thorsen Gonzalez, PhD, making gardening an ideal distraction from the rumination that fuels depression.

Exercise in the open air

A 2011 study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found that people who walked on an outdoor track moved at a faster pace, perceived less exertion, and experienced more positive emotions than those who walked on an indoor treadmill. In another recent study done in Scotland, subjects who walked through a rural area viewed their to-do list as more manageable than those who walked on city streets.

Evaporate depression

They sound like science fiction, but negative ions – particles that are plentiful near waterfalls, breaking waves, and river rapids – can act as natural antidepressants, according to Columbia University researchers. And an Indoor Air study found that after breathing negative ions for an hour, subjects’ blood lactate levels dropped 33 percent, improving their energy levels.

Walk in the woods

The Japanese knew that shinrin-yoku, or “forest bathing”, does wonderful things for the body. But now researchers at Tokyo’s Nippon Medical School have quantifiable evidence: In one study, women who spent two to four hours in the woods on two consecutive days experienced a nearly 50 percent increase in the activity of cancer-fighting white blood cells.

Call it the exercise paradox. The more you work out, the greater your chances of injury: a throb in your knee as you jog, a sharp twinge in your back when you twist for a serve. Your muscles are toned and strong, yet there you are, benched by your own aching joints.

But a rising form of yoga aims to protect those parts so vulnerable to wear and tear. “Yin yoga is joint rehabilitation,” says Paul Grilley, the godfather of the movement. “The poses work your joints in a way similar to how other types of exercise work your heart.”

Rather than flowing vigorously between postures, as you would in a fast-paced, “yang”-style ashtanga or vinyasa class, yin teaches you to relax in simple poses that you hold, and hold—so that the stretch penetrates the connective tissue in your spine, hips, and other joints. “Holding a pose for a long period can be beneficial,” says Claudette Lajam, MD, assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at NYU Langone Medical Center. Over time the fascia—the tissue that binds groups of muscles—may become inflamed and stick to the muscles, Lajam explains, which can cause pain and stiffness. “But repeated, gentle stretches can help release those sticking points.”

A class might begin with a seated forward bend, held for three to five minutes. Almost imperceptibly, your body settles into the pose. Your breathing slows. And since you’re not straining, you’re less likely to get hurt.

Not that yin yoga is easy. Any long hold can bring on a dull ache. But that can lead to a bigger payoff, says Sarah Powers, author of Insight Yoga. “Instead of needing to be comfortable to relax, we learn to relax with discomfort. That is a very transferable skill.”

After a few breaths, the ache vanishes and is replaced by a feeling of openness and length in your body. Still, the best argument for yin may be how it calms your mind, creating a sense of deep refreshment—as if, in Powers’s words, you’ve taken “an inner shower.”

Read more: oprah.com