Increasing the value of greenspace – a healthy pursuit!

The Scottish Waterways Trust have been developing wellbeing walks for nearly three years in the Inverness area and see the canals as the perfect natural resource for restorative therapy. Flat, wide, car free towpaths that are easily accessed and calm canal waters allow a different experience in conjunction with the Scottish Canals small boat the MV Caledonian.

Transcript

1. Increasing the value of Greenspace A healthy pursuit Stephen Wiseman
2. • In the natural world we have a sense of being away from the day to day stresses and strains of life. • Being in nature helps us to put matters in perspective. • The natural world stimulates and pleases our senses. • Being in nature usually makes people feel that they are in a supportive and harmonious environment. Kaplan and Kaplan People are entitled to a healthy and productive life in harmony with nature.

9. Numerous studies in the past decade have reported the association between contact with green spaces and health benefits both at the individual and population level. These have included beneficial associations with health outcomes, such as cardiovascular and respiratory mortality. The three main hypothesized mechanisms for these benefits include: provision of opportunities for physical activity, recovery from stress and attention fatigue, and facilitation of social contact. Value of urban green spaces in promoting healthy living and wellbeing: prospects for planning Lee, Jordan and Horsley 2015
26. Richard Louv 2005 thought that ‘alienation from nature’ was measured in ‘diminished use of the senses, attention difficulties and higher rates of emotional and physical illnesses’ Howard Clinebell in his 1996 book ‘a dose of nature’ stated that this ‘prescription’ can have regenerative powers, improving mood and easing anxiety, stress, and depression A 2007 study from the University of Essex found that a walk in the country reduced depression in 71% of participants. The researchers found that as little as five minutes in a natural setting improves mood, self-esteem, and motivation. A University of Rochester study published in 2010 in the Journal of Environmental Psychology showed that spending even just 20 minutes outside per day could boost energy levels. “Research has shown that people with a greater sense of vitality don’t just have more energy for things they want to do, they are also more resilient to physical illnesses,”
27. “Prize the natural spaces most of all, because once they're gone, with rare exceptions they're gone forever. In our bones we need the natural curves of hills, the scent of chapparal, the whisper of pines, the possibility of wildness. We require these patches of nature for our mental health and our spiritual resilience.” 
 ― Richard Louv, Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder