6 proven benefits of forest bathing

Do you suffer from anxiety, stress, chronic fatigue, high blood pressure, a weakened immune system…? Take a forest bath! Science provides studies that indicate that walking among the trees acts as a medicine, no side effectsand without health costs.

Contact with nature is one of the best medicines. Those of us who are regularly in contact with the earth experience it. The experience is clear. A walk through the forest, breathe fresh air, enjoy its sounds and also its silence, its smells… keeps our senses awakecalms the spirit, opens the lungs and regenerates, ultimately, the entire body.

In the East they know very well the therapeutic benefits of taking a walk in the woods and, for some three decades, the practice of Shinrin Yoku, a Japanese term that can be translated as “forest bathing”. A new discipline has been developing in the last decade, the so-called forest medicinewhich has also arrived in our country and which investigates to provide more knowledge about how forests are a source of health.

How to take a forest bath

No special physical preparation is required. Can be done alone or in a groupand there are associations that carry out guided forest bathing activities.

It consists of spending time in the forest, better if it is mature trees, walking along flat paths that do not present any difficulty. Walking observing the landscape, also sitting down and practicing contemplation, enjoy the silence. As simple as that.

They can also be performed breathing exercises and visualizationrelaxation, meditation, mindfulness, do tai chi or yoga. All activities that help to achieve a state of connection with oneself and with the environment are welcome.

Its therapeutic effects

Gaining in health and well-being, and preventing disease, is in summary what taking “forest baths” contributes.

The psychological benefits they have also been corroborated by forest medicine studies. They are related, above all, to the decrease in negative emotions: anxiety levels drop, symptoms associated with depression, fatigue…

Centenary nature walks increase the feeling of calm and bring a new bodily vigor. Because there you have to turn off mobile phones, avoid toxic conversations and focus on the smell of plants, the noise of the leaves and the textures and colors of everything beautiful that surrounds us.

1. Lowers cortisol and stress

Japan, the country of stress, has turned its gaze towards nature to try to regain balance. Millions of citizens practice forest therapies to reduce your stress levels. So many that they are already included in their traditional medicine.

Among those who practice it, with all five senses fully activated, the levels of the hormone cortisol drop about 12%. This practice improves mood and lowers anxiety.

2. Lowers blood pressure

While walking among nature, with a contemplative attitude, the sounds and smells that are perceived cause a gentle activation of the prefrontal cortex and the autonomic nervous system, while lowering blood pressure. All this contributes to a state of healthy well-being and relaxation.

Japan Forestry Agency measure blood pressure before and after of the walk so that they can verify the effectiveness.

3. A good protector of the heart

Two scientists from Chiba University in Tokyo –Miyazaki and Juyoung Lee– have studied the benefits of contact with nature at all levels for our health.

Those who participated in the study, frequenting the forests saw how stress levels were reduced and other variables that improved their cardiovascular health. The study affirms that among those who practice Shinrin-yoku there are a 5.8% decrease in heart attacks.

4. Relieves chronic pain

The team of Korean researchers led by Dr. Han analyzed the effect of forest bathing in patients suffering from chronic pain, chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia. The effectiveness of a forest bathing program together with other complementary activities (relaxation, music therapy…) was evaluated, and it was verified that the participants obtained psychological improvements with decreased pain and mood improvement.

5. Strengthens the immune system

Studies by Dr. Qing Li, an immunologist at the Tokyo Medical School, indicate that volatile compounds emitted by trees They are beneficial for defenses.

Walking through a forest, you breathe in these compounds, which, in turn, significantly increase the blood concentration of NK (Natural Killer) cells, a type of white blood cell that contributes to the fight infections and cancer.

6. Improves sleep disorders

After the forest therapy an improvement is experienced in the depth, in the time and in the perception of sleep quality.

It has also been found that if forest bathing is carried out towards sunset, it increases the improvement in night sleep in people with sleeping difficulties, since the relaxation that is produced by the lesser need for oxygen in the cerebral cortex It is physiological and psychological.