It’s no secret that the KindRoot team are big fans of mother nature.
The rural setting of our workshop and location of our business informs and influences everything we do. Our work is shaped by the Sussex countryside, its pace, its honesty, its quiet beauty.
We love being immersed in the natural world and among our small team are commercial flower growers, horse riders, bush-crafters, and leatherworkers.
We know that spending time in the natural environment can have a positive impact on our mental wellbeing, but don’t just take our word for it, in 2022 The Woodland Trust dedicated a research project to explore the theory. The BioWell project established that 90% of their research respondents indicated that being in woodland positively impacted their well being.
The easiest way of feeling the benefit of mother nature is by putting on your wellies or walking boots and going on a walk in the woods.
The benefits of a woodland walk are threefold:
Woodland walks improve physical health
Walking is one of the easiest ways to get more active and keep fit. The increase in heart rate improves blood flow and helps your heart pump more efficiently and walking can even help maintain bone health, keep blood sugar levels balanced and energy levels even.
The setting can make all the difference. Although walking on a treadmill at the gym is still brilliant for your health, walking in nature has been overwhelmingly proven to help keep your blood pressure down, as well as support your cardiovascular health.
In fact trials of ‘green prescriptions’ have been trialled around the UK, with GPs encouraging patients to take exercise in nature.
Woodland walks stimulate brain function
Any walk is good for brain health, as the impact of each footstep increases blood flow to the brain it can help improve your memory and cognitive function.
However, a wander through woodland stimulates all the senses, with different things to see, hear, smell and touch, giving your brain lots to absorb keeping it alert and active.
Woodland walks boost wellbeing
Being in or near the natural world is proven to reduce stress and improve wellbeing, whether you’re exercising or not. For example, simply having views of trees from a hospital window can boost patient recovery time.
Add a brisk walk to that natural environment and you will be boosting endorphins - those feel good hormones that improve your mood and lower stress, anxiety and depression
What could be better on a crisp Autumnal afternoon than getting out into your local woodland and experiencing all these benefits yourself.
We’ve pulled together some resources to help you find your next woodland walk:
Forestry England published their guide to their top ten best woodland walks:
https://www.forestryengland.uk/blog/top-10-wellbeing-walks
Or to find a great forest walk near you, why not try their searchable map of walks across the UK:
https://www.forestryengland.uk/activities/walking-trails-and-routes
For great Scottish walks, try the National Trust Scotland: https://www.nts.org.uk/stories/9-spectacular-walks
And for breathtaking Welsh woodland walks try the National Trust Wales:
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/wales/walking?type=outdoor-activity
And if you want to visit the Queen Elizabeth Oak, as beautifully drawn by our featured artist, Nick McMillan, visit the Cowdray Estate in West Sussex and pick up one of their walking maps:
https://www.cowdray.co.uk/walking-maps/
Wherever you are in the UK, there’s an opportunity for you to get out into nature this Autumn and experience the wonder of woodland yourself
Additional references:
The Woodland Trust
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/about-us/what-we-do/research-and-evidence/biowell-research/
And
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2020/08/walking-in-woods/