Why Nature Is One of the Most Powerful Tools for Health: A Health Coach’s Perspective
As a health coach, I often remind my clients that our well-being is not isolated in our body, but deeply connected to the world around us. When talking about health habits, most people usually think about diet, exercise, sleep, and stress. To these four pillars of health, Lifestyle Medicine adds relationships and restriction of alcohol, drugs and tobbaco. But there's another layer we can’t afford to ignore: the health of our environment and, more specifically, our relationship with nature. At the beginning of a coaching process, when I guide a self-evaluation of health areas, environment is included, and is no less important than all the others.
We Are Nature—Not Separate From It
In nowaday’s screen-filled, fast-paced world, it’s easy to forget that we are part of the natural world. Our bodies are finely tuned to rhythms found in sunlight, fresh air, greenery, and water. Ancient medicines knew that. Yet, modern life often disconnects us from those elements. We spend up to 90% of our time indoors [1], under artificial lighting and climate control, with limited exposure to natural elements. Only around 7% of our time is spent outdoors on average—much less than our bodies evolved for, which helps explain why nature exposure has such profound effects when we do make time for it. Moreover, in big cities we are surrounded by excessive noise and light stimulation that keeps our nervous systems on high alert.
This disconnection from nature is more than just a lifestyle shift—it’s a health risk. Research consistently shows that nature exposure isn’t just pleasant, it’s profoundly healing. Reconnecting with the natural world can have measurable benefits for our physical, emotional, and mental well-being.
The Science-Backed Health Benefits of Nature Exposure
Spending time in natural environments—whether it’s a forest walk, gardening, or simply sitting in a park—activates the parasympathetic nervous system, helping to lower stress hormones and support overall physiological balance.
Evidence supports associations between nature exposure and improved cognitive function, brain activity, blood pressure, mental health, physical activity, and sleep. Here are a few scientifically supported benefits:
🌿 Reduced Stress and Cortisol Levels
A 2019 meta-analysis found that nature exposure significantly reduced salivary cortisol levels, a biomarker of stress [2].
🌿 Improved Immune Function
Japanese research on shinrin-yoku (forest bathing) has shown that phytoncides - volatile organic compounds released by trees - can increase natural killer (NK) cell activity, boosting immune defenses [3].
🌿 Enhanced Mood and Reduced Depression
Experimental studies suggest that exposure to natural environments has protective effects on mental health outcomes and cognitive function, and long-term effects have a positive impact on depression, anxiety, cognitive function [4].
🌿 Better Cognitive Function and Attention
Studies indicate that increased exposure to nature was associated with improvements in overall mental health and reduction of ADD/ADHD symptoms in children and adolescents [5].
🌿 Improved Sleep Quality
Exposure to natural light during the day helps regulate circadian rhythms, which is vital for healthy sleep. A study in Chronobiology International found that people with more daylight exposure (as opposed to articial souces of light) slept longer and had better sleep efficiency [6].
🌿 Encouragement of Physical Activity
Green spaces promote more frequent and longer physical activity. Often these are also more pleasurable. A study published in The Lancet found that access to parks and green areas was correlated with lower rates of obesity and heart disease [7].
Nature as Preventative Medicine
Nature isn’t just something “nice to have”—it’s a free, accessible form of preventative medicine. In fact, some countries are starting to prescribe it. The UK’s National Health Service has developed “green social prescribing” programs [8], and doctors in Japan and Canada have similar nature-prescription models.
Whether it’s a 20-minute walk in a park, time spent barefoot on the grass (“earthing”), or tending to a garden, these experiences help regulate our nervous systems, boost our resilience, and support healing from chronic stress and inflammation.
Bringing Nature Into Everyday Life
You don’t need a forest in your backyard or a beach across the street to benefit from nature. There are simple and sustainable ways to make nature a part of everyday life and build daily rituals:
A while back, while working long hours as director of R&D in a biotech company, developing biological drugs for cancer, I used to drive to work. I used to stress along the drive with traffic, impolite motorcycle drivers, unpredictable driving time, and frequent delays. Back then I decided to walk to work, 6km each way, carrying on the backpack my laptop and corporative attire. I discovered trees and heard birds I never noticed before. This practice changed my life, led me to connect with myself and the city in ways never before imagined.
Healing the Planet, Healing Ourselves
Our health is a mirror of our environment. When we restore our relationship with the natural world, we don’t just heal our own bodies—we begin to participate in a larger healing. Cleaner air, water, and ecosystems benefit all of us, our children and our future generations.
As a health coach, I believe that true wellness is about connection: to our bodies, to our purpose, and to the planet. As a biologist, I know how a connection to nature impact our physiology. Reconnecting with nature helps us remember that we are not separate from the Earth—we are the Earth.
On this World Earth Day, and everyday, celebrate it. Take a deep breath. Step outside. Let the sunlight touch your face. Nature is not a luxury. It’s medicine—proven, powerful, and available, waiting for you.
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