Nature deficit disorder in children has become widely known but research is showing that nature can have sweeping benefits for the elderly, too.
Several recent studies have concluded that seniors who spend ample time outdoors may experience less anxiety, depression and stress than those who do not. While remained in blue and green outdoor areas, such as grassy parks or on the edge of koi ponds, they enjoyed increased feelings of renewal, restoration and spiritual connectedness. Even relatively mundane experiences in such places, such as hearing a bee buzzing among flowers or the sound of water, had a tremendous impact on overall health.
But while the young and the elderly both benefit from being in nature, they may have very different health reasons for getting outside.
For older people, even small experiences in nature, such as hearing ocean waves wash against the shore, had a favorable impact on overall health.
In a study published in 2002, Japanese researchers posed a simple question: in a group of seniors who otherwise seem similar, why do some live longer than others? To find out, the researchers gathered the records of more than 3,000 Tokyo residents who were between the ages of 74 and 89 in 1992, charted how many of those seniors were alive five years later and then tried to explain the variations in longevity.
Two subsets of the participants jumped out: people who lived near parks and green spaces where they could walk and those who spent more time in sunlight. Both groups were far more likely to be alive after five years than those who did neither. But how does nature help seniors cope with the specific health issues that they typically face?
Here’s what science shows:
1. Improvement in short-term memory loss.
1. Improvement in short-term memory loss.
Several studies show that walking in nature has memory-promoting effects that walks in other places don’t.
In one study, University of Michigan students were given a brief memory test and then divided into two groups. One took a walk around an arboretum, and the other took a walk down a city street. When the participants returned and repeated the memory test, those who had walked among trees did almost 20 percent better than they had the first time. The people who had taken in city sights instead did not consistently improve.
Nature walks boosted memory in seniors much more than walks in city settings. A similar study on depressed individuals found that walks in nature boosted working memory much more than walks in urban environments.
2. Reduction in inflammation. When inflammation flares up, it tends to be associated with a wide range of ills, including autoimmune disorders, inflammatory bowel disease and depression. Spending time in nature may be one way to help keep those ailments in check.
In one 2012 study, students who spent time in an evergreen forest in China had lower levels of inflammation than those who spent time in the city. In another, elderly patients who had been sent on a weeklong trip into the forest showed reduced signs of inflammation. There were some indications that the woodsy respite had a positive effect on those patients’ hypertension levels, as well.
3. Cancer prevention and an immune system charge. Preliminary studies have suggested that spending time in nature—in forests, in particular—may stimulate the production of anticancer proteins, and those escalations may last up to seven days. Waterfront areas were found to be especially comforting places, where older adults found spiritual connectedness and relaxation.
Studies in Japan, where shinrin-yoku (or forest-bathing) is considered a form of preventative medicine, have also found that people living in areas with greater forest coverage have lower mortality rates from a wide variety of cancers. And in a 2010 review of research related to this effect, scientists noted, “all of these findings strongly suggest that forest environments have beneficial effects on human immune function.”
4. Enhanced relationships and diminished senses of isolation. Getting outdoors promotes social interaction, whether through meeting new people or spending time with friends and loved ones.
Natural environments, in particular, provide older adults with opportunities for nonweight-bearing physical activities and physiotherapies, such as swimming. Waterfront areas are comforting sites for spiritual connectedness and for escaping the strains of later life, such as boredom, isolation and loneliness. In addition, spending time in natural places increases one’s sense of purpose and accomplishment.
5. Lower overall risk of early death. Nearby green space seems to be especially important for the health of residents in urban environments, according to a Dutch study of 250,782 people.
In a follow-up investigation, the same research team found that a wide variety of diseases were less prevalent among people who lived in close proximity to green space. And a 2016 paper published in Environmental Health Perspectives found a similar connection: greater exposure to greenness was associated with a 12 percent lower mortality rate. The biggest improvements were related to a reduced risk of death from cancer, lung disease and kidney disease.
It’s clear that an increasing body of medical evidence suggests that regular contact with the natural world can help provide senior citizens with health, happiness and a longer life. So, while children and young adults may use green and blue spaces to alleviate attention deficit disorder, to de-stress and to unplug, seniors benefit by using nature to lessen memory loss, boost the immune system, be socially active and prolong life. In effect, not only do we need outdoor playgrounds for children, but sheltered benches for grandparents to watch them.
This article was published as her blog by a multiple award-winning author and writer Candice Gaukel Andrews. Specializing in nature-travel topics and environmental issues, Candice has traveled around the world, from the Arctic Circle to Antarctica, and from New Zealand to Scotland's far northern, remote regions. Her assignments have been equally diverse, from covering Alaska’s Yukon Quest dogsled race to writing a history of the Galapagos Islands to describing and photographing the national snow-sculpting competition in her home state of Wisconsin.In addition to being a five-time book author, Candice's work has also appeared in several national and international publications, such as "The Huffington Post" and "Outside Magazine Online." To read her web columns and see samples of her nature photography, visit her website at www.candiceandrews.com and like her Nature Traveler Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/naturetraveler.
With great respect to her I feel proud to publish all these as my blog.
Hats off to her great devotion,
In one study, University of Michigan students were given a brief memory test and then divided into two groups. One took a walk around an arboretum, and the other took a walk down a city street. When the participants returned and repeated the memory test, those who had walked among trees did almost 20 percent better than they had the first time. The people who had taken in city sights instead did not consistently improve.
Nature walks boosted memory in seniors much more than walks in city settings. A similar study on depressed individuals found that walks in nature boosted working memory much more than walks in urban environments.
2. Reduction in inflammation. When inflammation flares up, it tends to be associated with a wide range of ills, including autoimmune disorders, inflammatory bowel disease and depression. Spending time in nature may be one way to help keep those ailments in check.
In one 2012 study, students who spent time in an evergreen forest in China had lower levels of inflammation than those who spent time in the city. In another, elderly patients who had been sent on a weeklong trip into the forest showed reduced signs of inflammation. There were some indications that the woodsy respite had a positive effect on those patients’ hypertension levels, as well.
3. Cancer prevention and an immune system charge. Preliminary studies have suggested that spending time in nature—in forests, in particular—may stimulate the production of anticancer proteins, and those escalations may last up to seven days. Waterfront areas were found to be especially comforting places, where older adults found spiritual connectedness and relaxation.
Studies in Japan, where shinrin-yoku (or forest-bathing) is considered a form of preventative medicine, have also found that people living in areas with greater forest coverage have lower mortality rates from a wide variety of cancers. And in a 2010 review of research related to this effect, scientists noted, “all of these findings strongly suggest that forest environments have beneficial effects on human immune function.”
4. Enhanced relationships and diminished senses of isolation. Getting outdoors promotes social interaction, whether through meeting new people or spending time with friends and loved ones.
Natural environments, in particular, provide older adults with opportunities for nonweight-bearing physical activities and physiotherapies, such as swimming. Waterfront areas are comforting sites for spiritual connectedness and for escaping the strains of later life, such as boredom, isolation and loneliness. In addition, spending time in natural places increases one’s sense of purpose and accomplishment.
5. Lower overall risk of early death. Nearby green space seems to be especially important for the health of residents in urban environments, according to a Dutch study of 250,782 people.
In a follow-up investigation, the same research team found that a wide variety of diseases were less prevalent among people who lived in close proximity to green space. And a 2016 paper published in Environmental Health Perspectives found a similar connection: greater exposure to greenness was associated with a 12 percent lower mortality rate. The biggest improvements were related to a reduced risk of death from cancer, lung disease and kidney disease.
It’s clear that an increasing body of medical evidence suggests that regular contact with the natural world can help provide senior citizens with health, happiness and a longer life. So, while children and young adults may use green and blue spaces to alleviate attention deficit disorder, to de-stress and to unplug, seniors benefit by using nature to lessen memory loss, boost the immune system, be socially active and prolong life. In effect, not only do we need outdoor playgrounds for children, but sheltered benches for grandparents to watch them.
This article was published as her blog by a multiple award-winning author and writer Candice Gaukel Andrews. Specializing in nature-travel topics and environmental issues, Candice has traveled around the world, from the Arctic Circle to Antarctica, and from New Zealand to Scotland's far northern, remote regions. Her assignments have been equally diverse, from covering Alaska’s Yukon Quest dogsled race to writing a history of the Galapagos Islands to describing and photographing the national snow-sculpting competition in her home state of Wisconsin.In addition to being a five-time book author, Candice's work has also appeared in several national and international publications, such as "The Huffington Post" and "Outside Magazine Online." To read her web columns and see samples of her nature photography, visit her website at www.candiceandrews.com and like her Nature Traveler Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/naturetraveler.
With great respect to her I feel proud to publish all these as my blog.
Hats off to her great devotion,
Mahesh Bhatt
