Landmark study finds causal link between nature walks and stress reduction

[Wishful]

https://newatlas.com/health-wellbeing/nature-walks-reduces-brain-stress-activity-study/

“We demonstrated that amygdala activation decreased during a stress task after nature exposure, whereas it remained stable after urban exposure,” the researchers concluded in the new study. “This strongly argues in favor of the salutogenic effects of nature as opposed to urban exposure causing additional stress.”

Reducing stress is probably good for PWME, but how to do a nice nature walk without triggering PEM?

BTW, I live surrounded by nature, and often go for walks in it, but haven't noticed any particular reduction in ME symptoms from it.

For proponents of grounding, via bare feet on wet beach, maybe it's the nature signals that's providing the benefit.

 

[Rufous McKinney]

BTW, I live surrounded by nature, and often go for walks in it, but haven't noticed any particular reduction in ME symptoms from it.

I breathed forest molecules every hour of most every day....for 17 straight years......ME worsened the entire time.

 

[Rufous McKinney]

via bare feet on wet beach,

which now is generally unsafe.

My husband in sandals, gets a nearly untreatable staph infection from walk on the lovely beach.

I'd suggest grounding barefoot on remnant lawns at a local school if you are so lucky.

 

[Wishful]

I grounded my arm in the creek recently. I didn't get a reduction in ME, I got leeches.

 

[xebex]

One doctor told me that I just needed to take a nice walk in nature.

i had spent the last 5 years skiing and biking in nature every weekend. So er yeah

 

[Rebeccare]

Reducing stress is probably good for PWME, but how to do a nice nature walk without triggering PEM?

I wonder if virtual reality technology would still have some benefits?

 

[Andryr]

Things like these work for healthy people.

 

[Rufous McKinney]

Reducing stress is probably good for PWME, but how to do a nice nature walk without triggering PEM?

in my case, the mere act of being OUT in a natural area....(away from people and urban) means my stress levels drop to drastically lower levels.

Because of the bladder issues. I have cystitis much of the time. A field trip, urban and civilized, is constant stress of having to find a bathroom. To be perfectly frank.

In the woods, I can be the animal I am,.......there is simply a huge stress when your operating with other people who don't have interstitial cystitis.

 

[Rufous McKinney]

but how to do a nice nature walk without triggering PEM?

if you can just be there.......walking is not mandatory.

And even in my pessimist state, its always better after being outside for even a short while. Just gazing a longer distance is important for our eyes......a tree downstairs asks to be hugged, and I in fact embrace the tree whenever I can manage it.

 

[Rufous McKinney]

I grounded my arm in the creek recently.

when my body still worked....more correctly...nothing was better than entering a cold stream and absorbing all that wonderful cold ionic flowing stream energy. I used to be able to tolerate really cold water, too.

 

[lenora]

I think just "being" is what is meant in many cases. Sure, it's not going to cure ME, but it does make life lighter and more enjoyable if we can see birds, squirrels and even larger animals. Just seeing trees and smelling the earth can do it for me. Yours, Lenora

 

[Wishful]

a tree downstairs asks to be hugged

I occasionally encounter really huge aspens, and I have hugged them. It just seemed to be the right thing to do.


Unrepentant tree-hugger.

 

[Poggers]

I wonder if virtual reality technology would still have some benefits?

I've wondered about this in general. The times I've used my son's Oculus, I've felt altered. Maybe dizzy after something like flying, but most importantly, a sense of wonder and ease when traveling through nature. It's certainly not a cure, but the endorphins are nice.

 

[BrightCandle]

I have been using VR throughout this ordeal to visit various places around the world. I take trips in the google maps app which allows you to stand and walk on any street, I drive in Euro Truck Sim 2 and get to a sense of the roads and environment of many countries in Europe and I also have flown IL2 and fought in world war 2 era planes in Russia and Belgium. If I can stand for a while I play quite a bunch of VR games but I gravitate towards sitting games nowadays (driving, flight). I have a Pico Neo 3 Link headset, its my third VR headset I had one of the original Vive's and used an Samsung Odyssey+ for years.

I think initially it takes a bit of getting used to the dizziness it can induce, but so long as you never push into it you can usually get over the comfort factors with time. Its just something I don't get to do that often I have to be in the top 10% of the range of my condition to use it.