Physical Activity in Natural Settings: An Opportunity for Lifestyle Medicine
Citation
Maddock, J. E., & Frumkin, H. (2024). Physical Activity in Natural Settings: An Opportunity for Lifestyle Medicine. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. doi.org/10.1177/15598276241253211
Being physically active is one of the best things people can do for their health, helping to prevent many long-term diseases. However, most Americans don’t get enough exercise. In recent years, scientists and health experts have discovered that spending time in nature can improve health. One reason is that it often encourages people to move more.
This growing understanding has sparked new collaborations among health professionals, parks and recreation departments, public land managers, and environmental groups to help people be more active outdoors. This review looks at:
- What we currently know about physical activity in natural settings (PANS);
- How to encourage more PANS by engaging health professionals; and
- Where more research is needed to fill remaining knowledge gaps.
Abstract
Physical activity is a well-known behavior for promoting health and preventing a variety of chronic diseases. Despite widespread knowledge of the benefits of physical activity, most Americans do not engage in sufficient physical activity. Over the past decade, there has been increasing recognition of the health benefits of spending time in nature, mediated in part through physical activity. This has led to new partnerships across health, parks and recreation, public lands, and environmental organizations to increase time spent, and physical activity, in natural settings. This review assesses the current evidence around physical activity in natural settings (PANS), strategies for promoting PANS including health professional engagement, and current gaps in the research literature.