The benefits of physical activity in the open air are well known: Scottish doctors then decide to introduce "nature" in the treatments dedicated to patients.
From this week, Scottish doctors will be able to prescribe "nature" as part of a patient's treatment
Mother Nature offers incredible benefits. A walk in the fresh air is good for body and brain, relaxes and makes you feel better. Why not prescribe such an activity in medical prescriptions? Could a natural, free and easily accessible remedy such as being pampered by the surrounding environment be the panacea for all ills?
Of course it does, or at least it does its great part. And the doctors of the Shetland, a Scottish archipelago, are well aware that they will begin to prescribe birdwatching, but also walks and collecting shells and sticks from the beach to improve the health and well-being of patients.
A program that is the basis of a pioneering partnership project between NHS Shetland (National Health Service) and RSPB Scotland (a nature conservation charity), which is believed to be the first of its kind in Britain and has expanded after a successful pilot phase. From this week, all Shetland doctors will be able to prescribe nature as part of their patient's treatment.
The pilot phase, which took place at Scalloway surgery last year, then led to the launch of "Nature PrescriptionsIn all ten Shetland County clinics.
The program assumes that nature has benefits to offer us such as the reduction of blood pressure, anxiety and an increase in well-being and happiness. It is a project, therefore, with which general practitioners and nurses will explain and promote the many advantages that being outdoors can have on physical and mental well-being.
This is why RSPB Scotland has produced a brochure and a real calendar of seasonal activities (depending on the time of year, suggestions could include strolling the beach for shells, going bird watching, walking the hills or just standing for a few minutes for a while outdoors), describing all the ways to realize the health benefits that nature can provide regardless of health conditions. The leaflet will be delivered at the discretion of each physician.
Chloe Evans, physician at Scalloway Health Center, said: “I want to participate because the project provides patients with a structured way to access nature as part of a non-drug approach to health problems. The benefits for patients are free, easily accessible and allow for a greater connection with the surrounding environment which, hopefully, leads to improved physical and mental health of people ".
Why all this? Simple: Regular outdoor activity reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke, diabetes, cancer, depression, anxiety, and sleep problems. There is also a body of evidence that people with a stronger connection to nature experience more life satisfaction, positive affects, and greater vitality.
In short, from nature a completely green method to be combined with traditional medicine to see the world with greater positivity and heal sooner. How about if our doctors also prescribed us at least one walk in the park a day?
Read also
- Eco-therapy: how to heal yourself by interacting with nature
- Forest bathing, the secret therapy of trees
- 12 minutes of walking a day improves mood and creativity
- Walking: 10 reasons to do it at least 30 minutes a day
- A short walk in the green is enough to find your good mood
Germana Carillo
