Welsh doctors prescribe woodland walks

Health scheme hopes to restore link between people and woodlands

Woodland walking could be the best kind of medicine. Photo: chrisangle

Doctors across Wales are prescribing woodland walking under a new scheme to treat conditions such as depression and heart problems.

The Aber Actif Woods scheme is being run in Mid and South Wales, and encourages people to take to the great outdoors after doctors were urged by the Forestry Commission to use its “natural health service”.

Following the launch of a 16-week winter programme, the project aims to develop a broader programme of activities across Wales in the future.

Nick Gibbs, who runs magazine Living Woods, explains woodland walking is much more beneficial than taking a stroll in your local park.

“Woodlands are much more varied, quiet, and closer to nature away from everyday life and day-to-day existence,” he says.

Health benefits
Nick Gibbs says that while woodland walking is widely known to aid fitness and mental health, the benefits are also social.

“You get the chance of meeting other people, and going in groups gives marginalised people company and also gives people a habit,” he says.

Dawn Thomas, who runs Nature Days, an organisation in Swansea which encourages outdoor education for schools and families, says through her work she has witnessed the positive influence nature has on children.

“They say going for a walk in the woods is equivalent of having a Ritalin pill for someone with ADHD; that is evident with the kids I take out,” she says.

“The noise level can be absorbed and there’s room to breathe. There are varieties of green outside and there is historical evidence that green has a calming effect.”

Get involved
The Woodland Trust has joined forces with CAMRA to produce a selection of the best pubs across the UK within easy reach of woodlands. The 10 best pubs from the book with nearby woodland access are listed on the VisitWoods website, which contains information on thousands of publicly accessible woods across the country.

Walking in Cardiff
Living in the city doesn’t mean you’re missing out. Take a look at Cardiff Ramblers’ local walk routes and local trails in the area.

Main image courtesy of chrisangle.
Featured image courtesy of the Woodland Trust.

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