Feel Better Soon

Just five minutes a day keeps the doctor at bay.

Two months ago Dr. Jo Barton and Professor Jules Pretty, University of Essex, published their results of a study about exercising in nature (green exercise). What they found backs up what I've been saying: Just five minutes can make a difference.

The results of the study show that just five minutes of exercising in nature has a measurable effect on your mental health—especially mood and self-esteem.

According to Professor Pretty, "You get a very substantial benefit from the first five minutes. We should be encouraging people in busy and stressed environments to get outside regularly, even for short bits of time."

It doesn't seem to matter what type of exercise you do, as long as you do it in nature. So if you want to garden, take a walk in a park, ride a horse, go sailing... do it. But make sure you do it for at least five minutes.

Read about the green exercise study in the journal Environmental Science and Technology.

How will you spend just five minutes today improving your mental health?