Hooray for the Great Outdoors That Contribute to Our Health!
A walk in the woods is more than a day away from the office or the living room couch; it may be a miracle cure for our health.
The term biophilia and the biophilia hypothesis may not be familiar to you, but it is in your best interests, healthwise, to begin to explore them. Our world is changing, and one aspect of it, the wilderness, is suffering along with its loss.
These trends suggest that people are at risk of becoming increasingly detached from rich natural environments. Across the globe, the number of people living in urban areas has surpassed that of rural areas, a trend that is predicted to continue over the coming decades. At the same time, species extinction is occurring at rates 100–1000 times faster than those seen in the fossil record, and there is no sign of it slowing down. Two of our greatest health assets, natural outdoor environments and exposure to a variety of living plants and animals, are vital for our lives, and we need to understand their value now.
The dangers of stress buildup cannot be continually repeated enough, and pushing them aside, as too many do, is a danger to all of us. Collectively, we stand to lose unless we all begin to cultivate a greater appreciation of mutual stress management.
