Cosy evenings await but don’t forget to get outside - for 120 minutes in nature!
As professionals, we often focus on structured exercise — sets, reps, intensity, and progression. But emerging evidence reminds us that where our clients move can be just as important as how much they move.
A large UK study of nearly 20,000 adults, published in Scientific Reports (White et al., 2019), found that people who spent at least 2 hours per week in natural environments (not Starbucks) were significantly more likely to report good health and high psychological wellbeing. It could be a single long walk or several shorter visits across the week.
This threshold effect — two hours per week — seemed to be a meaningful “dose” of nature exposure. Below that, there was no statistically significant benefit. The findings held true across all age groups, genders, income levels, and even among people with long-term health conditions.
For health and fitness professionals, this reinforces the idea that promoting movement outdoors isn’t just about variety or aesthetics — it’s an evidence-backed strategy for improving mental and physical health. Whether it’s encouraging clients to walk in local parks, take part in outdoor group sessions, or simply spend more time in green spaces between workouts, those 120 minutes could make a measurable difference.
Nature and the Autonomic Nervous System
Exposure to green spaces has been shown in other studies to positively influence the autonomic nervous system — the part of our physiology that regulates stress and recovery. Being in nature can increase parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) activity and reduce sympathetic (fight-or-flight) dominance, leading to measurable reductions in heart rate, blood pressure, and cortisol levels.
For clients who live in a state of chronic stress or sympathetic overdrive, even gentle movement outdoors can act as a natural regulator — enhancing recovery, improving sleep, and supporting overall resilience.
References:
White, M. P. et al. (2019) ‘Spending at least 120 minutes a week in nature is associated with good health and wellbeing’, Scientific Reports, 9, 7730. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-44097-
Park, B. J., Tsunetsugu, Y., Kasetani, T., Kagawa, T. & Miyazaki, Y. (2010) ‘The physiological effects of Shinrin-yoku (taking in the forest atmosphere or forest bathing): evidence from field experiments in 24 forests across Japan’, Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine, 15(1), pp. 18–26.
Antonelli, M., Barbieri, G. & Donelli, D. (2021) ‘Effects of forest bathing (Shinrin-yoku) on levels of cortisol as a stress biomarker: A systematic review and meta-analysis’, International Journal of Biometeorology, 65(7), pp. 1255–1274.