Looking to improve your body image and mental health? Head to the woods, study says

Many people struggle with body image, critical of how they look or how much they weigh.

Scientists have identified a way that may help you feel better about yourself: put on those hiking boots, grab a paddle or simply go for a walk in the park.

A study led by Viren Swami, professor of social psychology at Anglia Ruskin University, aimed to verify the link between a person’s connectedness to nature and how they feel about their bodies. His team found that people who were more exposed and connected to nature had higher appreciation of their physical appearance.

“Feeling and being part of a larger ecosystem requiring concern and protection is an issue that is bigger than our waistlines or the latest fashion,” Swami wrote in The Conversation. “In other words, a sense of connectedness to nature may shift our attention away from narrow self-interest and onto more rounded aspects of well-being, such as living a fulfilled life.”

Almost 400 adults, both men and women, participated in the study that asked about their exposure to nature in everyday life. It found that direct outdoor time may increase the degree to which people feel connected to nature, which was associated with a more positive body image. Past studies have emphasized the connection that green space increases social interaction and community connection, which can improve mental health.

Swami noted that the study data was self-reported, a limit to the findings. A previous study found that British women’s body image was improved by time outside, but men’s was not. But he said the results may be useful in developing new ways to encourage positive body image.

“[A sense of connectedness to nature] may also help us to focus on the functionality of our bodies – what our bodies can do, rather than what they look like,” Swami wrote. “By helping some individuals to identify commonalities between themselves and wider ecosystems, greater connectedness to nature may also result in critical appraisals of unrealistic stereotypes and ideals of appearance.”

So what are you waiting for? Get outside!

This story was originally published September 9, 2016 at 3:37 PM with the headline "Looking to improve your body image and mental health? Head to the woods, study says."