A Walk In The Woods

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”– Laozi — “*A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.*”
– Laozi

Going on any sort of walk is a net positive, but have you noticed that you feel particularly calm after a walk in nature? Intuitively, you can probably tell that walks in nature are qualitatively different than walks through a city. But this has also been backed by research.

A study in 2008 showed that people were better able to focus after they spent time walking in nature than if they walked through an urban environment. The same researchers found that walking in nature was beneficial to people suffering from depression.

Aside from the benefits of moving, there's something about walking through nature specifically that's good for our brains. Practically, this is worth considering the next time you're picking a route for a walk or picking a destination for a weekend getaway. Or next time you're getting ready to spend time on a treadmill, think about taking your walk or run outdoors through somewhere with some nature. It's not just your legs that will benefit.

—Erik Pavia, CEO