Sunday, October 18, 2009

Reducing stress by seeking open spaces

I live in a city, Portland, Oregon, that has an impressive number of parks and trails. It’s hard to believe there are so many ways to connect with nature in this metropolitan region of roughly two million people. In June, I wrote a post  about Tryon Creek State Park, located just minutes from downtown Portland. I found taking a nature walk through Tryon helped relieve the stress of living in a big city. 

Amanda Gardner writes an article that explores the surprising health benefits of living steps away from parks and wooded areas:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-10-15-nature-anxiety-exercise_N.htm

It’s important to seek out these open green spaces. If you’re a 9 to 5 office worker, try to sneak a quick nature stroll during your lunch hour. It will give you added energy. I envy the workers at nearby NIKE headquarters. There are some splendid trails in close proximity to the athletic shoe manufacturing campus.

My hope is to explore other walking trails and open spaces in the Portland area. If you have a favorite walking trail, park or wooded area in your city, feel free to comment on this post or drop me an e-mail at scottguythingblog@gmail.com and I’ll share with the readers of this blog.

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