Walkers – Try the Park Instead of the Mall

Mall-walking has been a boon to many older folk who need to get exercise, and yet find the outside either too hot or too cold. However, maybe braving the cold (or the heat) may have other benefits, if you can take you walk in a natural surrounding. Scientists from the University of Michigan have done two experiments to test attention and memory functioning after walks in a natural surrounding and in the city. They have issued a press release, and are publishing their findings in the journal Psychological Science.

Volunteers undertook a test that challenged their attention and memory. Then they took a walk in either a park or in downtown Ann Arbor. This was followed by repeat testing along the same lines. The whole exercise was repeated, only this time instead of a walk, the volunteers looked at photos of nature scenes or city environs.

In the first experiment the walk in the park resulted in a great improvement in test scores, but the walk downtown did not have this beneficial effect. Interestingly enough, the second experiment showed that photographs of nature scenes were also more successful in raising test scores than pictures of urban surroundings.

The psychologists’ explanation of these findings is that natural scenes are restful, allowing recover of mental abilities, whereas urban scenes are complex and require some understanding effort by the viewer, who may then be more tired than rested.

Clearly, communing with nature is a good mental stimulus – something that can’t be easily achieved with man-built surroundings. If you really can’t go outside for your walk, you might be better off looking at a collection of Ansel Adams photographs, or those of a friend . . .