Did you know: you can lose weight in the wood – without jogging?
A Naturheilzentrum Bottrop practice tip
Exercising in the fresh air is healthy. This is no secret. Many People play sports in their free time. Not just because it’s fun, but also, of course, to keep fit. Tennis, soccer or swimming are just a few of the many sports that are played in Germany. According to the German Olympic Sports Confederation, around one in three Germans was a member of a sports club in 2016.
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Diet occasionally, of course – fewer kilos by taking steps?
In addition, there are sports activities that are carried out outside of clubs. Jogging and walking fall into this category. Now a question for you as readers: what burns more calories – running or walking? The answer is astonishing.
Twice as many steps must be taken when walking than when running. Therefore, a comparable mass needs to be moved by muscle power and both types of exercise consume about the same amount of energy. So, whether you are jogging or walking four kilometers, it only makes a difference in time and not in terms of consumption.
Whether it’s pine needles or foliage – the main thing is that you’re in a forest
If you want to lose weight, this can also be achieved through extensive walks and you do not necessarily have to become an endurance runner with sneakers and a watch that monitors your heart rate.
In addition, to treat yourself to a very special ‘health cocktail’, you can move your future hiking trips to a forest. Because the wood works! This is what the naturopaths, Farid Zitoun and Christian Rüger from Naturheilzentrum Bottrop, explain in their latest YouTube video.
“Japanese researchers have been investigating the health properties of the natural forest environment for over ten years,” clarifies the naturopath and forest fan, Farid Zitoun. “The positive results have since led to walks in the forest today under the name ‘shinrin-yoku’, (translated as ‘forest bathing’), receiving state support and in Japan, it officially forms part of national preventative health care.”
“Korean researchers have been able to show that one-hour walks in the forest reduce the blood pressure and heart rate of test subjects, and improve the elasticity of the arteries,” adds Christian Rüger from the Bottrop facility for complementary medicine. “Heart attacks or strokes are much less likely.”
Essential oils strengthen the immune system
Needles, leaves, cones and tree bark release bioactive substances. These substances can be absorbed very well through the skin and inhaled in the dust-free air, which is comparable to the air quality in the mountains or at a lake. It improves lung capacity and allows you to breathe deeper, as the health experts at nabo (short for ‘Naturheilzentrum Bottrop’) know.
Forest bathing lowers the stress levels
A study by British researchers has shown that just a few minutes of exercise amid the greenery of nature are enough to raise the mood of test subjects, increase self-esteem and reduce stress. If there is water nearby, such as a lake or a stream, the effect is even greater. http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es903183r
Joint complaints – the forest floor is easy on the joints
There is another reason why dieters should choose the nearest forest as a destination for their own physical activity. The leaves and needles on the floor of the forest paths give the underground a soft structure. Bumps to the foot, knee and hip joints, or the spine are cushioned. The forest floor is thus the ideal exercise route for People with back pain or joint problems.
