health and wellness
Why some doctors are prescribing a day in the park or a walk on the beach for good health
Exposure to nature positively impacts health by reducing pain, stress, and anxiety while promoting well-being, encouraging initiatives like Nature Prescriptions for improved health. Walk in the park.
Jay Maddock, Texas A&M University
Taking a walk on a wooded path, spending an afternoon in a public park, harvesting your backyard garden and even looking at beautiful pictures of Hawaii can all make us feel good. Certainly, for many of us, it’s beneficial to have time outside in natural environments. Being cooped up inside can feel unnatural and increase our desire to get outside. The renowned biologist E.O. Wilson created a theory called the biophilia hypothesis, where he stated that people have an innate relationship to nature.
On an intuitive level, this makes sense. Humans evolved in an open, natural environment and removing us from this environment could have a negative effect on our health. But what does the research say? Is there actually evidence that being in natural environments can promote our well-being, prevent disease and speed recovery?
Nature and healing
The pioneering work in this area started in the 1980s with Robert Ulrich, who was a professor at Texas A&M University. His work looked at surgery patients who had a view of trees out of their window compared to those who had the view of a wall. Those with the natural view reported less pain and spent less time in the hospital.
Since then, several studies have shown a reduction in pain both through viewing natural scenes as well looking at nature videos and pictures.
Other studies have looked at the effect of exposure to daylight on patients and found they experienced less pain, stress and use of pain medications than patients who did not have exposure to natural light. There is also preliminary evidence that hospital gardens can alleviate stress in both patients and their families.
In the area of designing health care facilities, there appears to be consistent evidence that exposures to natural environments have a positive effect on pain, stress, anxiety, blood pressure and heart rate. In the Center for Health and Nature, a joint venture between my university Texas A&M, Houston Methodist Hospital and nonprofit Texan by Nature, our new studies are assessing if these effects extend to the virtual world, including immersive VR and virtual windows.
A preventive effect?
While nature appears to be helpful in restoring health after illness, can it actually help us keep healthy? Researchers across the world have been asking this question.
From forest bathing (“shinrin-yoku”) in Japan to the 30 Days Wild campaign in the United Kingdom, which encourages people to connect to wild places, people have been examining the healing powers of nature.
While walking is well established as a health promoting behavior, studies are now examining if walking in natural environments is more beneficial than indoors or in urban environments. Results have shown positive effects for mental health, improved attention, mood, blood pressure and heart rate. Several programs across the country have been formed to expose military veterans to natural spaces to combat symptoms of PTSD. In children, playgrounds with greenspace increased vigorous physical activity and decreased sedentary time and even has led to fewer fights.
While there is growing evidence that exposure to natural environments is beneficial to health there are still many questions to be answered. What is nature? While this may seem simple at first glance, there are many differences between a national park, an urban pocket park and a picture of waves crashing on the beach. What is the dose of nature needed?
In physical activity, there is scientific consensus that people need 150 minutes a week for good health. How much and how often is exposure to nature needed for better health? How do longer doses – such as a weekend camping in a forest – and shorter doses – such as a walk through a park – affect us? What sensory part of nature is affecting us? Is it sight, sound, smell, touch or a combination of them?
A recent paper proposed enhanced immune function as the central pathway for the variety of positive health outcomes received from nature exposure. This needs to be tested.
Despite the need for more research, the need for more nature exposure is urgent. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that Americans, on average, spend 90% of their time indoors. A study in the U.K. found that children spend only half the time outdoors than their parents used to.
There are signs that a nature movement is beginning to take hold. The 30 Days Wild program run by the Wildlife Trusts in the U.K. encouraged people to engage with nature every day for a month. In its first year, more than 18,000 people signed up. It starts again June 1, 2019.
Doctors in Scotland are now able give Nature Prescriptions to their patients. The educational leaflet they provide describes numerous monthly activities including touching the ocean, taking a dog for a walk and following a bumblebee. In the U.S., the Park Rx America program has been working to connect publicly available outdoor space to physicians to have them prescribe nature.
As spring arrives, it is time to make a commitment to spend more time in nature. Better health could literally be as easy as a walk in the park.
Jay Maddock, Professor of Public Health, Texas A&M University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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Health and Life Insurance
Lessons in Life Insurance: 4 Reasons Getting It May Be Easier Than You Think
Life is the most valuable thing you have – and like all valuable things, it should be insured. Even thinking about life insurance can be stressful, so it’s one of those things that’s easy to put off and tell yourself you’ll do another day. Consider these four ways to make getting life insurance simpler than you thought.
Lessons in Life Insurance: 4 Reasons Getting It May Be Easier Than You Think
(Feature Impact) Life is the most valuable thing you have – and like all valuable things, it should be insured. Even thinking about life insurance can be stressful, so it’s one of those things that’s easy to put off and tell yourself you’ll do another day.
If that’s how you feel, you aren’t alone. According to the 2026 Life Happens Life Insurance Survey, nearly half (46%) of U.S. adults have getting life insurance on their to-do list but plan to deal with it later or not at all. Confusion, procrastination and cost concerns are among the main reasons people kick this can down the road, according to 45% of respondents.
Yet the survey also uncovered an interesting disconnect: 69% of Americans said they personally know someone who had life insurance or whose family used a life insurance policy, most often a parent or parent figure (33%), but still haven’t made getting coverage a priority.
“Life insurance isn’t unfamiliar to most Americans,” Life Happens Executive Director Brian Steiner said. “The challenge is turning that awareness into action. People may think life insurance is something they can deal with later, but waiting can leave the people they love financially vulnerable. Getting started doesn’t have to be complicated, and professional guidance can help you find protection that fits your needs and budget.”
Consider these four ways to make getting life insurance simpler than you thought.
Watch this video to learn more
1. Find a policy that’s a fit.
Roughly 4 in 10 survey respondents reported feeling overwhelmed, anxious or some combination of both about planning for life insurance, with 12% citing thinking it’ll be too expensive as a reason they’ve delayed looking into, buying or updating life insurance.
The good news: There’s a policy that’s right for your current needs. It may be term life insurance, which provides protection for a specific period of time, like to cover a mortgage or tuition for children. There’s also permanent life insurance, which offers lifelong protection, as long as you pay the premiums.
2. Take advantage of digital tools
One-quarter of respondents said they’d be more likely to look into life insurance if they learned it was easier to get than they thought, and digital tools can help make that demand a reality.
It can take as little as two minutes to find out how much you need, for example, with the life insurance needs calculator from the nonprofit Life Happens. Just answer a few simple questions to estimate the amount of life insurance coverage you may need to take care of your family.
3. It’s about protection, not perfection.
Part of the anxiety around life insurance may be the perception that it should be perfect. For more than 1 in 5 survey participants, the plan is to seriously look at it when they feel more financially stable, and another 12% simply said they’ll do it when they’re older.
However, life insurance doesn’t have to check all the boxes for every stage of your life – you can find what works for your family right now then adjust as things change over time.
4. Professional help is available.
Perhaps the biggest hurdle to tackling life insurance is the feeling that you’re in it alone. Overall, 55% of respondents said if they learned life insurance may be easier to get than they expected, they’d be more likely to start the process.
With professional help only a few clicks away, you can rest assured you’re on the path to a life insurance fit that’s right for you by visiting findapro.lifehappens.org.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock
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Child Health
Changing the Landscape of Childhood Cancer Survivorship
Childhood Cancer: hile “cancer” is a term no family wants to hear, especially when it comes to their children, there is reason for hope. Today, 85% of children diagnosed with cancer survive at least five years. Survival is only part of the journey, however.
Changing the Landscape of Childhood Cancer Survivorship
(Feature Impact) While “cancer” is a term no family wants to hear, especially when it comes to their children, there is reason for hope. Today, 85% of children diagnosed with cancer survive at least five years, according to the National Cancer Institute, up from 75% three decades ago.
Watch this video to learn more
“This progress is driven in large part by dedicated research,” Hyundai Hope on Wheels Board Member Kevin Reilly said. “Over the last 28 years, Hyundai Hope on Wheels has committed over $300 million in pediatric cancer research and program grants, awarding more than 1,600 grants to 210 medical institutions nationwide, impacting thousands of young lives each year.”
Survival is only part of the journey, however. Nearly half (46%) of U.S. adults believe a child ringing the hospital bell after cancer treatment means the child is cancer-free and their medical journey is largely over, according to a survey conducted by Atomik Research on behalf of Hyundai Hope on Wheels. For the children and families living through a diagnosis, the reality is far more complex.
“The reality is that healing continues long after treatment, which is why sustained investment in survivorship care is a priority for us,” said John Guastaferro, executive director of Hyundai Hope on Wheels.
Isabella Franco-Capps, 11, understands that journey firsthand. Diagnosed with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia at age 5, her journey took two years before she could say she’s “a cancer survivor.”
“I was diagnosed with b-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia,” she said. “This began my two-year-long journey of scans, pokes, chemotherapy and hospital stays. And now I’m a cancer survivor.”
Fellow Hyundai Hope on Wheels National Youth Ambassador, Jackson Trihn, 12, is using his voice to call for continued research and to bring hope to others.
“The role … is being able to share my story,” he said. “Not just to spread awareness but to spread hope to kids that need it. And awareness is so important because people don’t understand how hard pediatric cancer can be.”
Continued progress can help ensure more children ring the bell and receive the care and support they need long after they’ve had the opportunity to do so. To learn more about these efforts and how you can help, visit HyundaiHopeOnWheels.org.
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(Feature Impact) Driven by rising rates of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and other risk factors,cardiovascular disease has surpassed cancer as the leading cause of death among Hispanic adults in the United States.
Hispanic people represent nearly 1 in 5 of the U.S. population and are the nation’s largest ethnic minority group, yet many continue to face barriers to achieving heart health and accessing high-quality healthcare. A new scientific statement published in the American Heart Association’s flagship journal, “Circulation,” revealed how social, economic, cultural and environmental factors contribute to persistent disparities in cardiovascular health, calling for culturally tailored prevention strategies, equitable access to care and greater representation of Hispanic populations in cardiovascular research.
“Hispanic populations in the U.S. are incredibly diverse even within their own communities with differences in genetic ancestry, language, cultural traditions and social experiences that can significantly influence cardiovascular health,” said Johanna Contreras, M.D., M.Sc., FAHA, director of the Division of Heart Failure and medical director of the Hispanic Heart Center within the Mount Sinai Health System. “Yet Hispanic people remain underrepresented overall in the research that guides prevention and treatment strategies… Without better representation and more detailed data, we risk overlooking important differences that can help us improve care and save lives.”
Hispanic Cardiovascular Health by the Numbers
Cardiovascular risk factors – obesity (nearly 46%), type 2 diabetes (15.5%) and high blood pressure (approximately 44%) – are prevalent among Hispanic adults and often emerge at younger ages and occur more frequently among Hispanic adults compared with white adults.
According to the report, only about 1 in 5 Hispanic adults achieves ideal cardiovascular health as defined by the American Heart Association’s original Life’s Simple 7 metrics. Updated analyses using the Life’s Essential 8 framework demonstrated persistent disparities for heart and brain health, as well as suboptimal dietary quality, sleep patterns and levels of physical activity.
Social and Economic Barriers Matter
Biology alone does not explain cardiovascular health disparities. The environments where people live, work and age, along with social and economic challenges, impact heart health. In fact, approximately 17% of Hispanics live below the federal poverty threshold, compared with 8.2% of white adults.
“Many Hispanic adults face obstacles that extend far beyond the doctor’s office,” Contreras said. “Limited health insurance coverage, language differences, food insecurity, environmental exposures and concerns related to immigration status can make it more difficult to prevent disease, manage chronic conditions and receive timely treatment.”
Contreras emphasized the cultural values and practices of Hispanic people also influence how they perceive their health and healthcare options.
“Family plays a central role in many Hispanic communities and can be an extraordinary source of strength, support and resilience,” Contreras said. “At the same time, family members are often called upon to translate medical information, navigate health systems and help make healthcare decisions for loved ones. Those responsibilities can shape how health information is understood and acted upon.”
An Action Plan for Improving Hispanic Health
There are practical opportunities to achieve equitable cardiovascular health and reduce disparities through community engagement, culturally responsive care, inclusive research and policies that address the underlying drivers of health.
“Reducing cardiovascular disease among Hispanic populations demands action at every level,” Contreras said, “from improving access to culturally responsive care and expanding research participation to addressing the social and environmental conditions that shape health.”
By addressing both medical risk factors and the social conditions that shape health, experts believe there is an important opportunity to reduce disparities and help more people live longer, healthier lives. Learn more at Heart.org.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock
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