Nature-Based Exercise and Mental Well

Key points

Outdoor activity in natural environments yields greater reductions in anxiety and anger than urban settings.

There are particular benefits for energy, positive engagement, and affect in natural settings.

Programmes of public health should prioritise access to green spaces for mental health.

The Bray to Greystones Cliff Walk in Ireland is a glorious natural resource for positive mental health. Source: Peter Murtagh / Used with permission

Our environment shapes our psychological well-being. This fact is often overshadowed by a focus on diagnosis, therapy , and medication . But maybe some of the secrets of good mental health are simpler than we thought.

In 2022, a review of research looked at whether the setting in which we exercise matters for how we feel. The findings