Short, frequent walks near water bodies can benefit mental health: Study

New Delhi: Taking frequent, short walks near water bodies, like beaches, lakes, rivers, or even fountains may have a positive effect on people’s wellbeing and mood, according to a new study.

The study was led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), a centre supported by the “la Caixa” Foundation. Conducted within the BlueHealth project and published in Environmental Research, the study used data on 59 adults. Over the course of one week, participants spent 20 minutes each day walking in a blue space. In a different week, they spent 20 minutes each day walking in an urban environment. During yet another week, they spent the same amount of time resting indoors.

The blue space route was along a beach in Barcelona, while the urban route was along city streets. Before, during, and after each activity, researchers measured the participants’ blood pressure and heart rate and used questionnaires to assess their well-being and mood.

“We saw a significant improvement in the participants’ well-being and mood immediately after they went for a walk in the blue space, compared with walking in an urban environment or resting,” commented Mark Nieuwenhuijsen, Director of the Urban Planning, Environment, and Health Initiative at ISGlobal and coordinator of the study.

Specifically, after taking a short walk on the beach in Barcelona, participants reported improvements in their mood, vitality, and mental health.

The authors did not identify any cardiovascular health benefits, although they believe this may be due to the design of the study.

“We assessed the immediate effects of taking a short walk along a blue space. Continuous, long-lasting exposure to these spaces might have positive effects on cardiovascular health that we were not able to observe in this study,” commented ISGlobal researcher Cristina Vert, lead author of the study.

“Our results show that the psychological benefits of physical activity vary according to the type of environment where it is carried out, and that blue spaces are better than urban spaces in this regard,” commented Vert.

Numerous ISGlobal studies have identified health benefits associated with green spaces, including a lower risk of obesity, better attention capacities in children, and slower physical decline in older adults. The new study provides evidence showing that blue spaces are an environment favourable to mental health.

“According to the United Nations, 55 per cent of the global population now lives in cities. It is crucial to identify and enhance elements that improve our health–such as blue spaces–so that we can create healthier, more sustainable, and more liveable cities,” explained Nieuwenhuijsen. (ANI)