Uploaded September 2023 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
We all know that walking is healthy. But did you know that it makes a difference where you go for a stroll?
A 2008 study done by researchers from the University of Michigan found that people who were given a concentration-sapping task after going for a walk in nature performed up to 20% better than the comparison group who had just walked through a city.
And this finding held up when they switched up the groups one week later!
Why is that?
Well, concentration requires directed attention. But this is a finite resource. Walking on busy city streets requires more of your focus than being in nature. Yet, a walk in nature still offers enough interesting stimuli to keep your mind sufficiently occupied. This state actually *replenishes* your directed attention resources.
This finding aligns with the core idea behind slow living, which is to maintain balance between spending and recovering energy. So next time you feel mentally drained, go for a walk in nature!
Study referenced in video: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19121124
– WHAT TO WATCH NEXT –
3 Simple Habits That Calm Me: youtu.be/6owgFm8h1cs
We all know that walking is healthy. But did you know that it makes a difference where you go for a stroll?
A 2008 study done by researchers from the University of Michigan found that people who were given a concentration-sapping task after going for a walk in nature performed up to 20% better than the comparison group who had just walked through a city.
And this finding held up when they switched up the groups one week later!
Why is that?
Well, concentration requires directed attention. But this is a finite resource. Walking on busy city streets requires more of your focus than being in nature. Yet, a walk in nature still offers enough interesting stimuli to keep your mind sufficiently occupied. This state actually *replenishes* your directed attention resources.
This finding aligns with the core idea behind slow living, which is to maintain balance between spending and recovering energy. So next time you feel mentally drained, go for a walk in nature!
Study referenced in video: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19121124
– WHAT TO WATCH NEXT –
3 Simple Habits That Calm Me: youtu.be/6owgFm8h1cs
