Episode Notes:
Nature is one of the most accessible, abundant, and powerful resources that we have to optimize our health, happiness, and performance. Subjectively and anecdotally, most people feel better after spending time in nature. Whether that be catching some sunlight, hiking through the forest, or listening to the rain when falling asleep.
Interested in the relationships between nature and health and well-being, a large body of research has begun exploring the physiological and psychological responses to nature immersion. From forest bathing to artificial nature viewing, this episode covers some fascinating science on the benefits of nature immersion.
Additionally, I share the story of my four-day, jungle/mountain hike through the Sierra Nevada mountains in Colombia to “La Ciudad Perdida” (The Lost City). Not only was it a magical experience, but physiological data recorded by WHOOP serves as an excellent case study to support the notion that nature immersion may significantly improve important biomarkers.
TOPICS:
[1:18] Research on the benefits of nature
[5:38] Physiological response to artificial nature exposure
[6:37] “La Ciudad Perdida” (The Lost City) trek
[10:05] Lesson learned: My biggest mistake on the trek
[11:05] Evidence of physiological benefits via WHOOP
[12:59] How time in nature can help you optimize your life
Nature Benefits
So, let’s get right into some of the research regarding the benefits of time spent in nature. First, a 2019 study found a very strong association between spending 120 minutes in a nature each week with improved health and well-being [1]. In fact, they claim that the influence of time in nature on health and wellness may be as significant as exercise and socioeconomic factors, including neighborhood (or living in an area of high or low deprivation) and salary (described as being employed in low or high social grade occupation).
Interestingly, they found that 120 mins appeared to be the optimal time in nature, noting that beyond two hours, there were minimum returns. So, in that case, don’t think you have to be in nature 24/7, but aiming for two hours every week may be beneficial.
This is important because they also refer to a growing body of evidence that suggests that exposure to nature, or at least greener urban areas, has been associated with reductions in cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, asthma, stress, and ultimately, mortality. While correlations are tough to draw, anecdotally, most people share similar sentiments of improved well-being when spending time in nature.
Of course, we can’t talk about time in nature without referencing Vitamin D. Inevitably, more time outdoors will increase natural sun exposure which has been linked to numerous benefits, perhaps a great topic for a future episode. From the creation and activation of Vitamin D, which helps to fight osteoporosis, cancer, depression, and heart attacks, sun exposure also helps to align our circadian rhythm to the solar day and optimize our sleep [2]. One of mother nature’s best medicines!
How about this interesting study from 2008? Researchers found that time outside can significantly help the aging process, reducing functional decline and improving health measures [3]. Studying men and women at 70 years old over a seven-year span, they found that those who consistently spent time outside reported “significantly fewer new complaints at age 77 of musculoskeletal pain, sleep problems, urinary incontinence, and decline in activities of daily living” [3].
Perhaps more interesting studies surround forest bathing. For those who don’t know what it is, forest bathing is almost a mix between hiking, walking, and a meditation practice. Essentially, you go out into a forest with no set objective or final destination, and merely just immerse yourself in nature. The sounds, sights, smells… all the senses. And it is a deliberate attempt to let go and connect with nature.
Now in studies conducted on forest bathing with women in 2008 and men in 2010, a team of researchers found that forest bathing trips increase “natural killer” cell quantity and activity as well as cancer-fighting proteins in both groups [4, 5]. Further, they actually found in both studies that the increases in natural killer cell and enzyme activity was sustained for more than seven days after the conclusion of the forest bathing trip.
They also suspect that the high concentration of phytoncides in the forest contributed to decreased stress hormones and possibility the increase in natural killer cell activity. If you are curious, phytoncides are antimicrobial, organic compounds emitted by plants and tress that are designed as a natural defense mechanism against harmful insects and germs [6].
A combination of time in nature, meditation, decreased stress, and increased anti-cancer activity sounds like a good deal to me!
Clearly, there is a lot going on with time in nature. A 2017 study concludes that benefits from nature actually come from numerous different avenues, including all five senses – sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch – but also a minimum of three other non-sensory mechanisms including phytoncides, negative air ions, and microbes [7].
As you might suspect, the greater the immersion, the greater the benefits. For example, spending time in a forest will have a larger influence than an urban green space, meanwhile an urban greenspace would have more of an influence than adding a few plants to your New York City apartment. Science backs up this intuition as well.
A 2018 study determined that natural environments induced a larger physical and psychological stress reduction than more urbanized settings [8]. They found that most natural environment resulted in the greatest reduction in cortisol (a biophysical marker of stress) and improved psychological measures: levels of demands, worries, and joys.
Of course, depending on where you live, nature may not be as accessible. But fear not, because even artificial exposure to nature may provide benefits. In fact, a 2019 review found a physiological response to visual stimuli – photos, 3D images, nature videos, or virtual reality [9]. Additionally, wooden materials, green plants, and flowers were found to influence autonomic nervous system activity and the prefrontal cortex.
Therefore, it is possible that you can improve your well being without fully immersing yourself in nature. And perhaps even better news, even small doses can be helpful. A 2020 review of numerous studies concluded that “as little as 10 minutes of sitting or walking in a diverse array of natural settings significantly and positively impacted defined psychological and physiological markers of mental well-being for college-aged individuals” [10].
So that is where we will wrap up this science review, but there you have it, even just 10 minutes may be enough to have a positive impact!
The Lost City in Colombia
So, I want to share my experience doing a four-day jungle, mountain trek in the Sierra Nevada mountains of Colombia to “La Ciudad Perdida,” or “The Lost City.” Partially to share my experience from the hike, but mostly in the context of nature immersion.
As a quick overview, this has been coined as the best trek in South America, and for good reason. It is a total of 60km with significant elevation gain that can be done over 4, 5, or 6 days. It must be done with a tour company, and all of them charge the exact same price, use the same campsites for lodging, and have the same chefs preparing all the meals. Regardless of who you go with, everything is very standardized.
In addition to averaging 15km each day (just under 10 miles), you are constantly ascending or descending. It is hot, there is a ton of humidity, frequent rain, and varying trail conditions. From muddy hills to rocky climbs, to crossing through rivers, you get a bit of everything. As a disclaimer to anyone interested, you need to be prepared to be hot, dirty, wet, tired, itchy, and downright uncomfortable for the majority of the time.
I can speak to that from experience. But all that misery is 100% worth it.
First of all, there is no cell service. And although you can purchase Wi-Fi at the campsites, I chose to be tech free for the entirety of my 80+ hour experience. With the exception of my camera and my phone used as an alarm, there was no screen time. No social networks. No distractions, commitments, to-dos, or external society for that matter. It was me, my guide, and the mountain.
Due to the pandemic and it being low-season, I actually happened to be the only person with my tour company, so I had a personal guide – Victor from Magic Tours – and he was fantastic.
So, no screens, no distractions, just hours of exercise and complete immersion in nature. The sounds, the sights, the greenery, the animals, and the incredible views along the way – truly magical. I was also able to hop into a couple rivers, catch sunrise and sunset, and fall asleep to nature sounds.
The campsite the first night was right next to the river, and the rushing water along with the crickets made for a peaceful night. Combine that with a full day of hiking, viewing the sunset, and no screens, I slept like a king despite being crammed into a wooden bunk bed with a mosquito net.
Each day we rose at 5am, just before the sky lit up for an early breakfast and start on the trails. Day two saw us finish off the last hour trekking through heavy rain and mud – passing numerous large crabs and toads along the way. That night was next to the river and a nearby waterfall, and again, I slept like a king.
On Day 3, we made it up to the Lost City in the morning, after walking through a river and scaling 1,200 rock steps towards the city’s entrance. I was the only tourist with my guide, and another company had two tourists with their guide that left after us in the morning, so when we arrived, the entire city was empty. I was blessed to have the entire city to myself to explore and enjoy.
Heavy with mist and fog, it was cool and damp, but serene at the lost city. Large circular areas created with massive rocks and steps leading to different platforms. Following another 300 or so steps, we ascended to the main sector of the city – in which there are four distinct sectors. While we reached peak elevation, the fog began to clear, and the city was magnificent.
Here are some pictures from the truly remarkable experience. You can also see more on my Instagram.
This morning spent in a vacated, breathtaking, and unbelievable lost city was truly magical. I don’t think I have ever experienced such beauty and peace all at once. While I made sure to take lots of photos, I spent most of my time just soaking it all in. An incredible experience to say the least.
After, we trekked back down 3-4 hours until the campsite for that night. This is where I made my biggest mistake. After showering, I spent a couple hours eating dinner and relaxing at the campsite before bed WITHOUT bug spray, socks, or long pants. I knew mosquitos were bad, but they are worst at the top of the mountain at the lost city, and we had descended a lot. After 3 days, I really hadn’t been bitten too much.
I didn’t notice mosquitos those few hours before bed. But as I was falling asleep, my feet and ankles were incredibly itchy and on fire, literally throbbing from the knee down. Finally, I pulled down my socks, turned on my phone flashlight, and saw at least 50 bites on each foot and ankle, completely swollen and large. Definitely the worst experience with mosquitos in my life. I had some anti-itch cream, but it barely helped.
Long story short, that was the first of three straight nights of less than 3 hours of sleep due to incredible swelling and itching. Anti-itch cream and aloe vera only provided relief for a few minutes, as did cold water. This was a miserable few days. But lesson learned and was it worth seeing the lost city, absolutely it was.
But going back to the benefits of nature, I had a profound discovery. Not only did I subjectively feel great being immersed in nature, hiking, sleeping to nature sounds and avoiding screens, but I had physiological data to back it up. After my WHOOP reconnected and uploaded data from the week, I observed three consecutive great recoveries following my three nights spent in the jungle – even the night after the mosquito attack when I barely slept!
My recovery after the first night skyrocketed to 96%, including an HRV – Heart Rate Variability – that was about 150% of my baseline, and a RHR leveling out at 40, considerably lower than my mid-40s baseline. I also observed an increase in restorative sleep, both REM and Slow wave deep sleep.
Recovery after night 2 was also elevated. 83% recovery, again with a significantly elevated HRV and lowered RHR. This night I slept longer than I have in months, racking up almost three hours of Slow wave deep sleep and lots of REM. Amazingly, even after the mosquito bites, I still had a green recovery with a very similar HRV and baseline RHR at 45. This was despite seeing my total sleep and restorative sleep drop considerably.
After returning to a world of technology (and battling the mosquito bites), my recoveries the next week were either yellow or red, indicating average or poor recoveries. HRVs were lower and RHRs were higher.
While this is just a small study, it was clear to me that nature had a profound effect on my physiological performance, therefore influencing health, happiness, and performance. Let me summarize the key factors that I think allowed me to feel, recover, and perform so well:
- Complete nature immersion
- No screens or technology
- Viewing sunrise and sunset
- High level of exercise
- Mindfulness
So, there you have it, a brief summary of my Lost City experience – the good with the bad – and some anecdotal evidence for the profound benefits of time spent in Nature.
So What Can You Do?
Now, let’s wrap this up with some basic and simple recommendations so that you can reap the benefits of time in nature.
First and foremost, I hope it is clear that you should try and spend as much time in nature as possible. Whether that is hiking, a forest bathing trip, getting to an urban park, or even just adding a few plants to your skyscraper apartment, nature exposure has many benefits.
While research indicates that 120 minutes of nature exposure each week is optimal, we also discovered that even just 10 minutes has been shown to induce positive physiological changes. At the very least, viewing nature videos, listening to nature sounds, or decorating your house with plants and wooden features may have some benefits.
So, while there is a lot to learn about nature’s influence on health, maybe you can use this as an excuse to plan your next weekend getaway and justify some time in nature. No technology, no distractions, just time to connect with the Earth and those you love.
To close off, here’s a great quote from the legendary Albert Einstein: “Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.”
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References
[1] White, M.P., Alcock, I., Grellier, J. et al. Spending at least 120 minutes a week in nature is associated with good health and wellbeing. Sci Rep 9, 7730 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-44097-3
[2] Harvard Health Letter. (2010, July 1). Spending time outdoors is good for you, from the Harvard Health Letter. Harvard Medical School Publishing. Retrieved from https://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/spending-time-outdoors-is-good-for-you
[3] Jacobs, J. M., Cohen, A., Hammerman-Rozenberg, R., Azoulay, D., Maaravi, Y., & Stessman, J. (2008). Going outdoors daily predicts long-term functional and health benefits among ambulatory older people. Journal of aging and health, 20(3), 259–272. https://doi.org/10.1177/0898264308315427
[4] Li, Q., Morimoto, K., Kobayashi, M., Inagaki, H., Katsumata, M., Hirata, Y., Hirata, K., Shimizu, T., Li, Y. J., Wakayama, Y., Kawada, T., Ohira, T., Takayama, N., Kagawa, T., & Miyazaki, Y. (2008). A forest bathing trip increases human natural killer activity and expression of anti-cancer proteins in female subjects. Journal of biological regulators and homeostatic agents, 22(1), 45–55. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18394317/
[5] Li, Q., Kobayashi, M., Inagaki, H., Hirata, Y., Li, Y. J., Hirata, K., Shimizu, T., Suzuki, H., Katsumata, M., Wakayama, Y., Kawada, T., Ohira, T., Matsui, N., & Kagawa, T. (2010). A day trip to a forest park increases human natural killer activity and the expression of anti-cancer proteins in male subjects. Journal of biological regulators and homeostatic agents, 24(2), 157–165. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20487629/
[6] Health Benefits. (2014). Forest Therapy Association of the Americas. Retrieved from http://forest-therapy.net/healthbenefits.html
[7] Franco, L. S., Shanahan, D. F., & Fuller, R. A. (2017). A Review of the Benefits of Nature Experiences: More Than Meets the Eye. International journal of environmental research and public health, 14(8), 864. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14080864
[8] Ewert, A., & Chang, Y. (2018). Levels of Nature and Stress Response. Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland), 8(5), 49. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs8050049
[9] Jo, H., Song, C., & Miyazaki, Y. (2019). Physiological Benefits of Viewing Nature: A Systematic Review of Indoor Experiments. International journal of environmental research and public health, 16(23), 4739. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16234739
[10] Meredith, G. R., Rakow, D. A., Eldermire, E., Madsen, C. G., Shelley, S. P., & Sachs, N. A. (2020). Minimum Time Dose in Nature to Positively Impact the Mental Health of College-Aged Students, and How to Measure It: A Scoping Review. Frontiers in psychology, 10, 2942. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02942
