SEPTEMBER 2015

Finding Quality of Life in the Outdoors

Increasing research supports good old common sense in stressing that regular and spirited exercise is strongly linked to well being. A recent study claims that endurance exercise seems to keep our brains working more at full-tilt as we age (Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.) People also receive psychological boost from exposure to pastoral beauty in our forests and wildlife areas.

I had a good friend once who suffered from depression to the extent that she finally turned to a doctor for advice. This doctor didn't prescribe drugs in her case, though. He told her at least twice a week to drive to the top of a nearby mountain and national park area and merely walk around that area and observe the vistas and natural scenery there. She said that those solitary excursions were very helpful for her in overcoming many of her depressed moods. Surely such walks will not completely overcome mental concerns such as depression or anxiety, but these can help many in lifting their moods and improving attitudes.

We can join health clubs or make New Year's resolutions with the best intentions to jog, walk or exercise more. Yet we often fail to live up to these good intentions and have excuses galore for our inactivity.

Louisiana residents, like those in several other Southern states, compete for the highest obesity rates in the nation. Mississippi led the nation in 2013 with an adult obesity level of over 35 percent, while Louisiana had a rate of over 33 percent. We also see many children and adolescents who spend almost all of their time on sedentary interests and very little time playing outdoors or getting any kind of exercise. They can get so accustomed to air-conditioned, indoor comforts that spending an afternoon or even an hour outdoors can be an unlikely prospect. There is reason for concern when some scientists claim that current "millennials" will not have as long of a life span as their predecessors, due in large part to inactivity and obesity levels.

Mark Twain has been given credit by many for observing that "golf is a good walk spoilt." Today's golfers much more often spend time riding in carts than getting in a good walk. We are increasingly a society of sports spectators rather than participants. Even many former jocks in high school and college seldom maintain conditioning or exercise levels later, and they start putting on the pounds.

Drivers will spend minutes circling a mall or a shopping lot looking for a parking spot to avoid less than a 50 yard walk to their destination. It's more unusual now to see folks with a yard much less than an acre actually walking a mower rather than riding one or paying someone else to do this. It's amazing what many people will do to avoid even a modest walk or physical exercise.

I will be profiling some of the better outdoor adventure spots in our state in future issues. These are particularly appealing places to explore for weekend excursions with family and friends. Even more valuable for individual health and well being, though, are recreational and outdoor areas within a 15 or 20-minutes drive away from our homes or work sites. Maybe it's a wooded park area with trails or a levee along a river or bayou. Somewhere fairly near each of us is most likely a destination for a regular 30-minute or more hike or walk to clear our heads, breathe a bit freer, and relieve a bit of accumulated stress. No health club fees, no expensive equipment, and no special planning or preparation are needed for this. It can be a special alone time or perhaps a place to meet, walk and talk with a good friend or family member. There are other options such as listening to favorite music or taking your dog along on a hike for mutual benefit. I think the key, though, is finding a little time to open your eyes to the natural world of living and being all around us.

As humans and for millenniums, we were hunter-gatherers who were acutely aware of and constantly interacting with our natural environment. Our bodies and minds still retain this imprint and psychological and emotional benefit from interaction with nature. Obsessive, compulsive focus on other human goals and ambitions can blind and rob us of a more balanced set of priorities in which physical exercise and interaction with nature are an important part.

This blog includes articles on the outdoors and environment submitted by Steve Payne to The Piney Woods Journal. Appointed as a correspondent on the outdoors and environment for this monthly journal based in Dodson/Winnfield, Louisiana, his articles started appearing in May of 2015.