We know that physical activity is good for our health, but there are only 34 % of women and 29 % of men in the age group 20-64 years old which meets the Directorate of Health’s minimum recommendation for physical activity in Norway (Helsedirektoratet, 2016, 4. avsn.). Despite the fact that physical acticity leads to benefits with regard to, for example pain disorders, public health diseases and physical form such as strength and endurance, many choose to be inactive. Almost evryone knows that acticity affects the body, blood pressurse, blood sugar, cholesterol etc. As an healthcare professional, we can ask ourselves why so much of the population choose this way. Neuroscientist, Ole Petter Hjelle from Norway, says that if physical acticity had been a pill, everyone would have taken it (Høyskolen Kristiania, 2018, 6. avns.). It may look like people think it’s easier to take a pill. As Hjelle tells, despite the fact that we know how important physical activity is for our health, 75% of the population choose to be inactive (Høyskolen Kristiania, 2018.).
Therefore, I will present nature as therapy.
At first glance at the picture, you see a girl running in the forest. The sun shines and it looks peaceful. I chose this picture because it shows that nature offers many opportunities for movement and physical activity. The girl in the picture runs, but nature also offers opportunities for walking, cycling, kayak, swimming, hillwalking et cetra. Nature can be a good arena for promoting physical activity. A study from the college of Hedmark made by Giovanna Calogiuri found that people with a lower level of acticity seem to prefer exercise in nature more than others (Calogiuri & Elliott, 2017, s.10). People with a low level of acticity have a higher risk of having lifestyle related diseases, so nature can be important for these to get into more physical activity.
I have some thoughts on why nature can act as therapy for body and soul. In Norway, we mention good nature experiences and workouts in beautiful surroundings where everything feels perfect for «conditioner for soul». I think this can be about the happiness hormone, endorphins, produced by exercise. This hormone leads to reduction in pain experience, and it can lead to a happy feeling after exercise. It can also lead to «runners high» or sense of flow, a feeling where one loses track of time and space, a heightened sense of well being. A person with this feeling lets not be disturbed by external or internal relationships. A sense of pleasure, relaxtion, little strenuous and a general positive feeling. By using nature we get more than just physical activity, which among other things, has a positive effect on mental health, reduces stress and depression, and leads to freedom and silence. Giovanna Calogiuri has also researched the stress hormone cortisol and the results showed that activity in nature reduces stress hormones more, compared to indoor acticity (Calogiuri & Chroni, 2014, s.19)
In relation to mental health, another study compared to walking in nature and in the city. The results showed that the participants who walked in nature reported lower levels of mental health related problems and reduced neural activity in areas of the brain that are associated with the risk of mental illness, compared to those wo ealked in the urban environment (Bratman, Daily, Levy & Gross, 2015, s.46).
Beautiful nature can become a distraction from being in acticity, and maybe a distraction of being tired. The thoughts can fly away and one can concentrate on being here and now. By being in the nature you remove everyday noise and technology that takes up a lot of time. This can allow room to meet their thoughts in a different way. When it is just nature, the silence and your own breathing that works, it can help create a kind of calm.
Movement and physical activity provide health benefits and can prevent health problems. In Norway, doctors have the opportunity to give out someting called a «green prescription». Green prescription means measures with a focus on treatment of lifestyle diseases without medical treatment, and can be, for example, a prescription that indicates type, frequency and dosage of physical activity (Bahr, 2008, s. 76).
In the end I just want to say that I think the nature can be used to treat different people based on the positive effect the nature has on the mental health and the physical health. If a person chooses to run as in the picture or select another activity is individually for each one.
Reference
Bratman, G., Daily, G., Levy, B. & Gross, J. (2015). The benefits of nature experience: Improved affect and cognition.
https://innerlijkefocus.nl/wp-content/uploads/Benefits-of-nature-experience-improved-affect-and-cognition.pdf
Calogiuri, G. & Chroni, S. (2014). The impact of the natural environment on the promotion of active living: An integrative systematic review Giovanna.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4246567/pdf/12889_2014_Article_7291.pdf
Calogiuri, G. & Elliott, L. (2017). Why do people exercise in natural environments? Norwegian adults motives for nature-, gym-, and sports-based exercise.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5409578/pdf/ijerph-14-00377.pdf
Helsedirektoratet. (2016, 17. juni). Statistikk om fysisk aktivitetsnivå og stillestilling. Hentet fra: https://helsedirektoratet.no/folkehelse/fysisk-aktivitet/statistikk-om-fysisk-aktivitetsniva-og-stillesitting
Høyskolen Kristiania. (2018, 18. September). Hadde fysisk aktivitet vært ei pille, ville alle tatt den. Hentet fra: https://forskning.no/hoyskolen-kristiania-trening-partner/hadde-fysisk-aktivitet-vaert-en-pille-ville-alle-tatt-den/1239833
One thought on “Nature as therapy”
Your writing piece is well organised and it brings your argument across in a clear and concise manner which made it enjoyable to read. I definitely agree that physical activity benefits our health. There is a clear discription of the picture provided and the text ties in with the picture. I clearly understand the argument. However, I do not completely understand how this reflects the health system of Norway. I would like to read more about the health system and not so much about the health of citizens of Norway. Have you considered how the health of health care practitioners can influence the health system? Furthermore, it would be quite interesting to know more about the health system from the patients point of view. There are a few spelling mistakes but that is minor. Nonetheless, it is a great atempt to the assignment, well done.