We all know how to live a healthy lifestyle – we just don’t necessary do it. Eat well, exercise, be mindful, be grateful. But how do we even do these things, when we’re always so busy and stressed?

Today we’re going to talk about slowing down in nature, using blue and green spaces. A blue space is a place with water like a river, creek or lake. A green space is a place with plant life, like a garden, forest or park. The benefits are endless.

When you take a break in a natural environment, there are a range of physiological effects which directly change the way you feel, and the way in which you interact with the world and the people around you. Your heart rate slows. Your blood pressure drops. With repeated exposure to natural spaces, your brain and mind can recover from depletion, and there’s good evidence to show a meaningful reduction in heart disease, diabetes, hypertension and other lifestyle diseases. There can even be a meaningful improvement in depression and anxiety.

Just imagine it. The smell of fresh air. The sound of running water. The feel of gravel crunching under your boots, or sand between your toes. The chill in the air as you step into the shade. The warmth of the sun against your skin. The taste of fresh, cold water, sipped from your favourite bottle. You take a deep breath, counting slowly in-2-3-4 hold 2-3-4 out 2-3-4. You do this twice more, no more than 5 deep breaths in a row.  How do you feel? More calm, more collected, more grounded, more able to face the day? Is your head a little clearer? I suspect the answer will be yes – and this is just with imagining nature – try this exercise outside, for the full benefit.

My favourite way to connect with nature is to go for a walk through the Brisbane Botanic Gardens at Mount Coot-tha. I take my toddler, my grandmother, some water bottles, and often a snack, and we set off to explore the immaculate and ever-changing natural museum of trees, flowers, grass, and lakes. We start at “Daddy Fish”, as my toddler calls the lone inhabitant of the Tropical Dome pond, and we often go searching for wildlife in the many lakes dotted throughout the gardens.

You don’t need to do anything specific to get the benefits of being in nature. A good place to start is with a simple walk, deep breathing, and/or the 5-4-3-2-1 method of noticing your surroundings. Exercise in the outdoors is a lovely way to get two benefits at once – being outdoors, and the physical benefits of the exercise itself.

So get out there and enjoy your day! Take a cruise on the ferry, a walk along the memorial park, a trip out to the botanical gardens, or even just a moment in your own back yard to smell the flowers.

Sarah Andersen is available for physiotherapy appointments at Bodycode on Mondays and Fridays.  Book HERE

TIP OF THE DAY: Take a moment to pause, to experience the world around you. Go outside, notice 5 things you see, 4 sounds, 3 textures, 2 scents, and do 1 movement – like spinning, walking, or rising up to tiptoes.