We live in the digital age where everything is a click away from us. You name anything, and we have some or the other app in our smartphone available at our service. Right from shopping online to booking tickets for your flights or trains, catching up on meetings, working from home and whatnot, we have a long list. However, one thing that actually requires your real-time efforts is the workout or exercise we get into to keep our physical health in the right shape. Morning walks and running are essential activities we miss in this busy world, and things get worse when it’s a chilling winter. However, if you defy these challenges, you are bound to enjoy the Bliss of Nature. Tryst with Nature is something that we badly miss in this urban lifestyle.
However, this weekend was enjoyable when my dear friend Dr. Anwar Siddiqui, his respected wife, and I walked through the woods of Gorewada Trail. While walking and running early this past Saturday, we realized the importance of coming close to Nature. We call it Mother Nature, which encompasses everything a man would love to have in this polluted world. From fresh air and high-quality Oxygen intake to the songs of birds and other animals, mind the sound water makes while flowing over the set ruts in the woods. The no-horn zone or traffic-free area makes us realize how far we have gone away from Nature and so from the countless bounties it has for Mankind.
Why Connect with Mother nature?
My friend (Dr Anwar) was complaining about our disconnect from Nature. Being a medico, his realization of this fact was intense, and I can feel the same in the whinge he posed before me. That brings me to ask this pertinent question, how far are we from Nature? Doc reiterated how important it is to be close to Mother Nature. The dire need to take up health ventures within and outside our neighbourhood will not only take care of our health but also connect us with Mother Nature. Needless to say, once you connect with Nature, you are bound to reap the benefits in many ways.
Nature in our lives can work like magic. It has the potential to make you feel relaxed and positive. Many researchers in the chorus agree that spending time close to a green environment can lift our moods and significantly improve our health. As per the study by Dr. Caoimhe Twohig-Bennett of Norwich Medical School, exposure to green spaces can keep the risks of Type 2 Diabetes, High BP and Cardiovascular ailments at bay. The study claims that green spaces have a more significant role to play, particularly those that remain away from urban pollution clutches. It referred to the parkland in urban areas and open rural lands.
The study was published in the known journal – Environmental Research. Nature has helped people to re-discover themselves by making them free from stress and helping you experience perfect sleep. The researchers are now busy exploring the long-term impact on human lives by connecting to Nature. This is one of the key reasons why forest bathing in Japan is a popular therapy in the country. The practice involves too many participants who spend time in the woods by walking or lying down on the ground. In other words, they tend to remain in the lap of Nature.
Enjoy the Bliss before it’s Too late
So, my Doc friend’s concern was why we are far away from Nature. Well, is it inaccessible, or are we too busy in our life filled with junk food and an improper lifestyle? His concern as a whinge seems too relevant during the skyrocketing healthcare cost. The overflooded food joints and the risky beverages we intake in the name of soft drinks (I won’t name hard drinks as I do not find them too rampant in my circle) reminds me of a famous phrase that we earn money by eating the junk to ruin our health and then we put money to fix the health issues. In a nutshell, we are big losers as we tend to miss the Bliss of Nature. One interesting finding about remaining close to Nature is that people tend to find more opportunities to socialize and stay active in our social and community circles. Exposure to Nature allows people to interact with diverse kinds of bacteria, which benefits our immune system in a big way by keeping inflammation in the body at bay.
We need more research studies to promote Nature’s role in shaping good health. Such studies or research will remain a motivating factor for many people who step out from their homes in the open and enjoy a good walk or run in the woods or green spaces. Health experts agree that spending time close to Nature dramatically benefits our health. It propels the flow of oxygen in our bodies when we are more amid the lap of Nature. It enhances the circulatory system. Needless to say, people act as per the Oxygen levels in their bodies. Living in any pollution-free state can benefit your health in many ways.
