Why are doctors prescribing outside 2 hours a week to improve brain and heart health?

Canadian doctor writes Over 4,000 prescriptions for spending time outdoors to change what is widely recognized Natural health benefits To another tool in modern medical toolkits.

A program called ParkRX, Developed in 2020 Created by a Vancouver doctor in partnership with the BC Parks Foundation in British Columbia. Participating doctors instruct patients to go out, usually two hours a week, as a means of improving certain conditions.These are from asthma Cardiovascular disease To ADHD When Depression and anxiety..

ParkRX (PaRX for short) received significant support and support from the Government of Canada in the following cases: last monthParks Canada, the agency that manages national parks, has participated in this effort. The agency has allowed doctors to “prescribe” the Parks Canada Discovery Pass. The prescribed pass allows people to enter any of Canada’s 38 national parks for free. Otherwise, admission is $ 72 per person and $ 62 for seniors.

Participants can enjoy mountain views of Banff National Park in Alberta, hike the winding paths through the lush forests of Pacific Rim National Park Reserve in British Columbia, and Prince Edward Island National for good health. You can walk on the sidewalk across the sea. park. Doctor’s order.

Longevity hack teeth Regular series from Inverse About science-backed strategies to live better, healthier, and longer without medicine.our Hack index..

Science practice — The basic idea of ​​the PaRX program is indisputable. The health benefits of being outdoors are Widely recorded and studied..

“When the doctor wrote down something, the study showed that patients were more likely to follow it.”

Still, the average American spends 93% of his life indoors. According to the Environmental Protection Agency.. The statistics available for Canada are more complex. Neilson’s Survey Canadians have been found to spend more than an hour outside on weekdays and weekends on average, but researchers say that some Canadians (snowboarders, woodcutters, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, etc.) are always outdoors. The numbers are biased. 40% say they have no leisure time outdoors.

PaRX believes that written notes from doctors are the motivation needed to make people a pioneer.Those who may block other health advice can follow the notes from their doctor, says Prama Rahman, coordinator of the Healthy By Nature Program at the BC Parks Foundation. Inverse.. “When the doctor wrote down something Studies show Patients are likely to follow it, “she says.

Nurses and doctors are Canada’s most trusted and second most trusted professionals. According to pollsTrusted by 92% and 89% of the masses, respectively.

Why it’s a hack — PaRX library Patients outlining the scientifically tested benefits of green space for a variety of medical concerns such as cancer treatment, cardiovascular health, mental health, aging, pregnancy, breathing, immunity, ADHD, allergies and asthma, weight maintenance, etc. List of handouts for.There are even handouts about how nature has been shown to improve Work performance ‍ When School success..

Canada is not the only country experimenting with the “Park RX” program. There is a small move in the United States Encourage the doctor to give the patient written instructions, such as a prescription, to spend more time outside.this Picked up some traction Due to concerns about the shut-in phase of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Some doctors I asked again We have sought a lack of research on the effectiveness of writing non-medical prescriptions and a “unified research agenda” to test the results.

Canadian programs may offer a large pool for studying. The program is planned to expand from British Columbia to Ontario, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and throughout Great White North. Some additional natural attractions, Like the Japanese Garden at the University of British ColumbiaAccepted the “prescription” as a pass and abandoned admission.

How this affects lifespan — As cited in the PaRX literature, solid research has shown that outdoor time can help alleviate a variety of chronic illnesses. Meta-analysis shows a wide range of health benefits The natural world and many studies have actually investigated these mechanisms.

Some examples:

• Japanese middle-aged man engaged in 4 hours “Forest therapy” Show pace time in nature, Dropped their blood pressure About 10 points on average.
• A person who sat in the forest for 15 minutes Lowered cortisol levels Fluctuations in heart rate, signs of stress, and controls sitting in the urban environment had no benefit.
• Participants who walked in the natural environment for 90 minutes had a low level of rumination. Showed decreased neural activity In areas of the brain associated with the risk of mental illness compared to those who walked in the urban environment.
• After a day trip to the forest Subjects in one study The proportion of NK cells increased for 7 days. NK cells are immune cells that fight cancer and bacterial infections.
• Children of ADHA I did well School tests after a walk in the park are better than children with ADHD walking around the street.

Name your chronic illness. Perhaps there are at least some studies showing that going out for a few hours may improve symptoms.

Hack score — 7 out of 10 breaths of fresh Rocky air ??????