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Five minutes of exercising in nature improves mental health Jeremy Hance mongabay.com May 05, 2010 "For the first time in the scientific literature, we have been able to show dose-response relationships for the positive effects of nature on human mental health," co-author Jules Pretty said in a press release. The study found that just a five-minute 'dose' of exercising in nature provided the biggest boost in people's self esteem. Analyzing over twelve-hundred people from ten studies in the UK, the authors were able to show that a myriad of activities, including walking, gardening, cycling, fishing, boating, horse-riding and even farming, in natural settings helped people's mental health. While the study found that all ages benefited from the 'green exercise', the greatest changes were seen in young subjects and subjects who already suffered from mental-illness. The study further found that being active in green species with water provided additional improvements in people's mental health. "We believe that there would be a large potential benefit to individuals, society and to the costs of the health service if all groups of people were to self-medicate more with green exercise," says co-author Jo Barton. Pretty added that the economic benefit of a wide policy initiative encouraging exercise in natural settings could prove substantial. A previous study has shown that walking in green environments significantly improved the concentration-abilities of children with ADHD, and in some cases was even more effective than medication. Related articles Nature helps with ADHD—may even out-perform medication (10/21/2008) Children with ADHD are better able to focus after a twenty-minute walk in a natural setting, according to a study published in the Journal of Attention Disorders. The study compared walks in nature to those in urban or residential areas and found that the child’s ADHD improved most after walking in a green space. A new reason to ban whaling: your health (11/28/2008) Health officials have recommended a ban on the eating of pilot whales, a traditional food source, in the Faroe Islands, reports New Scientist. The build-up of toxins — which bioaccumulate up the food chain as predators feed on tainted organisms — have rendered whale meat harmful to humans. Obesity rates increase nationwide in 2006 (08/27/2007) 31 states saw a rise in obesity rates last year, reports a new study by the Trust for America's Health, a research group that focuses on disease prevention.
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