FITNESS FABLES
MARIKA SBOROS: How exercising in nature gives physical and mental wellbeing the green light
Doctors in some countries are prescribing activities in natural environments as complementary treatments for a range of illnesses
Summer’s here, the holiday silly season beckons, and with it comes golden opportunity for “green exercising”. There’s nothing silly or even seasonal about green exercising — it is a term researchers use to refer to any physical activity that takes place outdoors. Getting the most out of green exercising involves getting up close and personal with Mother Nature — it’s about much more than nipping outside for a brisk walk around the the neighbourhood, no matter how pretty and leafy. It’s about putting space, literally and figuratively, between yourself and the stresses and strains of modern, 21st-century, concrete-jungle living and working. That’s not to underestimate the benefits of structured fitness programmes indoors. And a walk or run in your nearest park is better than nothing. But for optimum green exercising, venture further afield to go walking, trail-running, hiking, canoeing, mountain-biking or swimming in clear streams, rivers or oceans. It’s easier, of course, to summon u...
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