Is there a difference between exercising outdoors or indoors in virtual greenery related to mental and physical health?

A study from the United Nations says that by 2050, 68% of the world’s people may live in cities. Only 33% of people lived in cities around the world in 1950, so this is a vast and quick rise in a short amount of time. This level of urbanization, which has happened quickly from an evolutionary point of view, has changed the environment. For example, people who live in cities see fewer wild areas, more traffic, and more pollution in the air and water. This lack of access to wild areas, a.k.a. "green areas," can have amazing effects on our brain, mental health, and physiology.

Corporations have been leading us to believe that exercise indoors is a great way to engage in these activities whether through inability to access the outdoors or an inclination to remain inside. Researchers, however, have not found that this is a substitution that meets all of the advantages of exercising outdoors.

The research is quite specific in how outdoor activities activate portions of our brain involved in maintaining tranquility and engaging problem-solving activities. Many of us have seen the 10-second commercials with calming outdoor sounds. The sounds of nature have a primal reaction that we should use to our benefit.

Being outside has been an important part of human development for thousands of years. Because of this, it is possible that the ways people react to nature will stay the same. There is not much evidence that the structure of the human brain has changed in the last 4,000 years. But, it has been hard for scientists to agree on how these effects happen until now. The research over the last few decades indicate the benefits of these sounds.

One study looked into how looking at forest scenery affects the amount of oxygenated hemoglobin in the brain. The green atmosphere was different from the scenery of cities. The authors saw a big drop in oxygenated hemoglobin in one brain area when people looked at pictures of forests. To help with problem-solving, this area tends to become more active when you are doing mentally demanding chores.

Few studies have looked at how forest therapy changes brain function. In a study and others that have been done before, changes in brain activity while being in a forest were measured by looking at the concentration of hemoglobin in the part of the brain that handles higher processes like decision-making and problem-solving.

The researchers found that looking at real forests relaxes the body by reducing oxygen in the right part of the brain. Research of this type would support the premise that exercising indoors and viewing a monitor that shows outdoor forest areas as an effective means to provide what the brain perceives as "natural" and, therefore, useful to help us relieve stress and attain relaxation.

A short walk through a forest or just taking a moment to enjoy the view of a forest has been linked to lower cortisol levels, and heart rate. Green space has been linked to better sleep, lower blood pressure, and a lower chance of chronic diseases. This is probably because people who spend more time in green spaces also say they exercise more.

What has been or will result from being deprived, either as adults or children, of access to real forest environments? We now know that something called nature-deficit disorder, linked to living in cities, has grown into a major social issue. People with this disorder spend less time outside than people did in the past.

Interesting ways to address this disorder, especially with children, include:

Have a meal outside with your friends. Bring a blanket or towel, and eat lunch outside.

Watch the clouds. Look up to see how fast they are moving. Ask the kids to describe the shapes they see in the clouds. What do the different types of clouds mean in terms of our weather? Ask children to identify them.

Watch the birds. Kids should be asked to count how many different kinds of animals they can find. The “seek” app by “iNaturalist” (https://www.inaturalist.org/pages/seek_app) can help you figure out what kind of animal or plant you are looking at.

Put out a bird feeder and watch the different kinds of birds that come to it. For people who are allergic to nuts, this can be as easy as getting some pine cones and spreading peanut butter or shortening on them. Add some bird seed on top. Help them hang it from a tree branch or just put it outside a window.

I had birdfeeders installed at a nursing home where residents lay in bed all day, staring out the window. The presence of the birds and the feeders was amazing as the resident began to willingly discuss the birds they had seen and the activities they were watching. It was a decided change from the way they had spent their days.

Get some flowers or a tree and plant them together. It does not matter how big or small your job is. Save an avocado pit and grow it into a tree in your home. You can plant it in your yard. Planting is a great way to learn about and take care of nature.

Go on treasure hunts in nature. Find nature where you are. Record what you find using your phone or a cheap camera. Some examples of searches and activities include:

Gather leaves. Ask kids to count how many different kinds of leaves they can find. Help them make rubbings of leaves to showcase their outdoor activities as art.

Get a light-colored sheet or towel and put it down next to a bush on the ground. Shake the sheet to see what falls from the bush on it. (A hand lens would be very helpful here.)

Go on a “Square Foot Adventure.” Find a small area of grass or dirt that is about 1 square foot and mark it. Lay down and take a good look. What lives there?

Writing about nature. Tell kids to draw something interesting about nature and add a few words or lines to describe it. Tell the kids to add to this every time they go outside.

Find art in the outdoors. Take a picture adventure together. To get young people to take shots of interesting rocks, flowers, grasses, insects, and other things in nature

Play games outside with each other. Catch the Flag Tag Red Light, Green Light, Mother May I Hide, and Seek

Play Nature Bingo together. Nature Bingo cards can be found online in large numbers, or you can make your own.

Researchers have found that people with a better connection to nature are less stressed and anxious and visit public green spaces more often. The link between these two things needs to be clarified for people who have a weaker connection to nature. Researchers could explore this interesting connection, which raises questions about our psychological bond with nature. Daydreaming about being in a forest might also serve our need for immersion in a natural environment.

Would it work? Let's see what the researchers think about that one. Of course, that could be something we would do when meditating, and this could contribute to the current literature on the benefits of this activity.

The green space is waiting for you; what are you waiting for?