Take A Hike! Some Health Benefits of a Walk in the Woods

Riverdale Farm by Steven Ley

"A vigorous five-mile walk will do more good for an unhappy but otherwise healthy adult than all the medicine and psychology in the world."  ~Paul Dudley White 

"The civilized man has built a coach, but has lost the use of his feet."  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Self-Reliance," 1841

"If you wish to know the divine, feel the wind on your face and the warm sun on your hand." ~Buddha

In Japan, where going to the forest is known as "Forest Bathing" or Shinrin-yoku, it's believed that during a walk in a park the phytoncides (an essential oil from trees, particularly pines), fresher air, reduced sound pollution  as well as the negative ions that trees produce all have a direct effect on the body and mind. Going for a walk around the block, though a park or through the woods is an inexpensive way to get exercise, loose weight, clear the mind, improve immunity, increase mood, ease back pain, enhance cognition and improve quality of life.  Reviving the idea of the constitutional walk is now being promoted by doctors and studied by scientists. Here are some of the health benefits of going for a walk that can happen in as little as 15 minutes. 

Walking Benefits

So go for a walk and reap the benefits of this inexpensive way to improve your health.