Eating right and exercising are important ways to stay mentally and physically healthy. And instead of getting off the couch and hopping on a treadmill, you might want to consider going outdoors and reaping the health benefits of being in nature.
And don’t be surprised at your next doctor’s visit when you get a prescription for parks instead of pills.
Being outdoors in nature is an important factor in staying healthy. It’s a concept called biophilia.
“Biophilia means that we are wired to be connected to nature — that there’s something healthy about having nature either in our presence or us being present in nature,” says Dr. Brent Bauer, a general internal medicine physician at Mayo Clinic.
Which is why some health care professionals are writing “park prescriptions.”
Studies suggest the best dose of nature is at least two hours a week.
