In the most recent edition of National Parks Magazine there was a excellent article contributed by a University of California San Francisco physician, Daphne Miller, MD, about the need for doctors to start prescribing nature to patients who are ill. In her article, A Prescription For Nature, she talks about the links between open green spaces in cities and body mass index in local citizens. Children who are now so frequently medicated to control their behavior in class can show improvement by spending more time outdoors and even doing some active learning in a natural environment rather than in a fluorescent one. With over 60% of Americans now medically overweight we should also be considering the importance of city parks and green areas when we vote for the use of our tax dollars. One of the reasons many people move to Marin in the first place is to have access to better weather, well maintained trail systems, and rolling hills to get our hearts pumping. Let’s all get out in nature and use its beauty to reduce our mental stress, increase our focus and sense of calm, and drop a few points off of the blood sugar. Your prescription is to read this great article and get out there and hike!
Your Prescription: Get out and hike!
March 29, 2014 by Leave a Comment
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