It has been common knowledge since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution that going back to nature and taking a walk in the woods can soothe a troubled soul and make you feel better. Urban life is filled with tensions, stimulation and stress that can wear down the individual. Getting back to nature has been seen as an antidote to the grind and pollution of urban life.

Science is beginning to reveal why “green exercise” is a powerful way to practice preventive health. Studies involving nature-based prescriptions have shown the physical and mental benefits of being outdoors.

Japanese culture dating back to the 1980s prescribed outdoor walks as a way to deal with anxiety and depression. They coined the term Shinrin-yoku (forest bathing) to describe this method of immersing in nature to achieve a variety of physical and mental benefits that carry over.

Forest bathing is different from just hiking around. Forest bathing requires focus on the moment; actually seeing the trees and smelling their fresh scent.

Hiking around and sharing office gossip isn’t forest bathing. The goal is to reduce distractions like cellphones and increase awareness of the immediate surroundings, like the shape of the clouds and the color of the lake. Shifting awareness to the outside environment is the key to practicing Shinrin-yoku.

A particular health benefit from being around trees is that the trees give off molecular organic compounds called phytoncides. These organic compounds, emitted by different species of trees including pines, act like an antifungal or antibiotic agent to defend the tree against fungus, diseases, or insects.

Multiple medical studies have shown that when phytoncides are breathed in, they activate a class of white blood cells called Natural Killer (NK) cells that seek out tumor or bacterial cells to eliminate. Consequently, breathing deeply in a forest has been found to be beneficial to health as well as calming the mind.

Green exercise is another term that references outdoor activities that improve cardiovascular fitness, strength, anxiety and depression, cognitive functions of concentration and creativity, and social connections that promote community and a sense of belonging.

A walk in the woods that immerses the individual in the beauty and challenge of the forest is one of the oldest and simplest ways to practice preventive health care.

The Internet search terms to use for more information about the physical and mental benefits of outdoor activities are: green exercise, forest bathing, or phytoncides. Many of the papers in these searches have links to the formal studies.