Science proves what you suspected: hiking's good for your mental health [View all]

[n2doc]

Do not underestimate the power of a walk in the woods: A new study suggests that even a 90- minute stroll in a natural environment can lead to measurable changes in the brain, and may help combat depression.

Previous research has shown that just a 50-minute walk in nature can improve your mood, decrease your anxiety and even improve your memory. But for the new study, published this week in PNAS, the research team wanted to see if they could understand what the mechanisms for these positive effects might be.

To help them figure it out, they decided to focus specifically on what psychologists call "rumination," which has been shown to predict depressive episodes.

"Ruminative thought means something very specific in psychology," said Gregory Bratman, a PhD candidate in environmental science at Stanford University and the lead author of the study. "It is repetitive thought that is focused on negative aspects of the self."

more

http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-nature-mental-health-20150629-story.html