If you are planning on taking a vacation you might want to consider adding a quick day or two on some natural scenery. Did you know that the experience of a natural environment may actually be beneficial to your health, both mentally and physically? Several studies have shown that natural environments can decrease the amount of stress in your body. And with stress being the major cause of all illness and disease, it is important to take the extra precautionary measures. If these precautionary measures involve experiencing the natural environment, it might not be too difficult to do. So, if it’s almost vacation time, why not try hopping aboard one of the many Grand Canyon Helicopter flights. It takes but just a few hours and the sceneries you will experience are absolutely breathtaking.
Isn’t it strange that the more advanced and highly technological our society becomes, it still does not seem to make our lives any easier? The advances in science have been greatly beneficial both in the field of health as well as in the realm of technology, and although these advances were meant to make life less complicated and worry free, it seems as though it may be doing the opposite. Many scientists like Frances Kuo actually argue that this everyday stress is caused by the society itself, and most of us would agree that this is obvious. However, Kuo argued that it was because of the “concrete jungle” in which we surround ourselves: the parking lots, skyscrapers, ten story office buildings, asphalt and concrete, the basic structural foundations of a large city. Kuo conducted a study where he focused on two groups of people (1) people who looked out there window and saw grassy fields and courtyards and (2) people who looked out their window and were unable to see a natural environment. Kuo’s research concluded that nature is good for the mind and “refreshes the ability to concentrate.”
Another experiment conducted by Peter Kahn took Kuo’s findings one step further by using technology. Kahn took his test subjects and placed one group next to window that gave the subjects the ability to experience a natural environment. Another group was placed in front of a large big screen television that showed the exact same landscape. The final group was placed in front of a blank wall. Then, Kahn took a heart rate device that measured their beats per minute. Of course, those who were beside the window overlooking the natural landscape had the quickest drops in heart rate – but what was surprising was that the subjects subjected to the television screen and the blank wall both experienced very similar heart rate measurements. Kahn’s conclusion was that there is no replacement for actual nature and that natural environments do help with decreasing stress levels.
The next time you are feeling a stressed out, try replacing the alcohol, prescribed medication and even the television set with a few minutes outdoors. Save some time on the weekend to enjoy a natural landscape like a Springs Preserve, or if you are in the Las Vegas area, try taking a nice road trip on one of the relaxing Grand Canyon bus tours. Or when taking a vacation, soak up as much nature as possible. One of the many Grand Canyon helicopter tours might also do the trick. They are affordable and only take approximately 3-4 hours from hotel to hotel. Whichever way you plan on experiencing nature, remember that it is greatly beneficial to your health to experience our natural world.