We live in a fast-paced world, surrounded by technology and endless responsibilities. With so much to do, it’s easy to overlook the importance of connecting with nature.

Many of us intuitively recognize that spending time in nature can be restorative. But, did you know that it can also have a positive impact on our physical and mental health?

The benefits of spending time in nature are undeniable and well-documented and many experts now consider time in the outdoors to be a form of medicine for the mind and body.

As we’re squarely in the middle of winter here in NJ, we wanted to provide some food for thought (and motivation!) to get outside.

What we can learn from the Nordics:

For those living in regions that experience cold winters and shorter/darker days, it’s convenient to not spend time outdoors during the winter months.

However, we can learn quite a lot from the Nordics. Those in Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Iceland experience notoriously long and harsh winters yet find time to embrace the outdoors year-round.

Some of the things we can learn from them include:

1. Dress appropriately: People in cold Nordic countries have learned to dress in layers and wear warm clothing to stay comfortable in harsh weather conditions.
2. Stay active: People in these countries are known to be active, and they often engage in outdoor activities such as skiing, snowshoeing, and hiking, which can provide numerous physical and mental health benefits.
3. Incorporate friends + community: Spending time outdoors is often a social activity in Nordic countries, and people there have developed a strong sense of community through their shared love of nature.
4. Soak in natural light: During the winter months, there is limited daylight in many Nordic countries, and people there have learned the importance of getting outside and exposing themselves to natural light to boost their mood and counteract the effects of seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

While many still believe that we “catch a cold” from time spent in the cold outdoors, consider that exposure to cold temperatures can actually increase the production of white blood cells and other immune system components to fight off infection and disease.

Translation: Spending time in the cold may actually improve our immune system and help to build resilience.

What we can learn from the Japanese:

In recent years the Japanese practice of “shinrin-yoku,” or forest bathing, has gained traction globally.

Forest bathing? Yes. Forest bathing.

Forest bathing involves spending time in forests and other natural environments to improve physical and mental health. The concept is based on the idea that spending time in nature can help reduce stress and improve overall well-being by stimulating the senses and promoting a deep connection with the natural world.

In 2016, after seeing a growing body of research supporting the benefits of forest bathing, the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries even launched a national forest therapy program, with the goal of promoting the health benefits of spending time in forests.

Some forest bathing best practices:

1. Disconnect from technology: Turn off your phone and other devices to fully immerse yourself in the natural environment.
2. Slow down and focus on your senses: Use your senses to engage with the environment, such as by paying attention to the sounds, smells, and textures of the forest.
3. Walk slowly and mindfully: Take a slow, leisurely walk, paying attention to your body and breathing.
4. Do it regularly: Regularly spending time in nature (ideally 5hrs/wk) can help to sustain the benefits over time.

Grounding:

Perhaps not a great winter activity, grounding (also known as earthing) is a practice that involves direct physical contact with the earth, such as walking barefoot on grass, sand, or soil.

Now, before you check to see if our tin foil hats are strapped on too tight, hear us out.

The idea behind grounding is that it helps to reduce inflammation and improve overall health by promoting the transfer of electrons from the earth to the body.

The earth is a source of free electrons, which are negatively charged particles that can help to neutralize positively charged particles in the body that contribute to inflammation and other health problems.

When we walk barefoot on the ground, the soles of our feet come into direct contact with the earth, allowing us to absorb these free electrons into our bodies.

While current research is still preliminary, many people report feeling improved physical and mental well-being after spending time grounded, and there is a growing body of scientific evidence to support the potential health benefits of this practice.

Noted benefits include reducing inflammation, stress, and anxiety. It’s also believed that grounding can have an impact on the nervous system and the circadian rhythm, helping to regulate the production of hormones and improve sleep.

Some grounding best practices:

1. Spend time barefoot outside: Spend time walking barefoot on grass, sand, or soil, or sit with bare feet on the ground, to allow for direct physical contact with the earth.
2. Use grounding products: There are a variety of grounding products available, such as mats and sheets, that can help to promote the transfer of electrons from the earth to the body.
3. Practice mindfulness: Combine grounding with mindfulness practices, such as meditation, to help focus your attention on the present moment and enhance the benefits of grounding.
4. Incorporate it daily: Make grounding a regular part of your daily routine, such as by spending time barefoot outside each morning or evening.

What the studies say:

Numerous studies have shown that spending time in nature can have a positive impact on mental health and well-being.

A few of them:

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health:

Study found that exposure to forest environments resulted in lower levels of cortisol, lower blood pressure, improved mood, reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety, and improvements in overall life satisfaction.

Environmental Science & Technology:

Study found that just five minutes of exposure to nature can lower stress levels and improve overall mood.

American Journal of Public Health:

Study found that people who live in areas with higher levels of green space have a lower risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

Journal of Affective Disorders:

Study found that participation in nature-based therapy reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression in patients with major depressive disorder. Additionally, outdoor light therapy was an effective treatment for season affective disorder (SAD), and a review of existing research found that exposure to natural light, especially during the winter months, can have a positive impact on SAD symptoms.

PLOS ONE:

Study found that participants who took a two-hour forest bath showed a significant decrease in symptoms of anxiety and depression, as well as improved sleep and overall well-being.

Journal of Inflammation Research:

Study found that grounding reduced inflammation markers in the body.

Additional Sources:

• International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5569272/
• Journal of Affective Disorders: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20404067
• Journal of Affective Disorders: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1640690/

Final Thoughts:

We all want to feel our best, especially in the thick of winter.

Whether it’s bundling up like the Nordics, forest bathing like the Japanese, or grounding like your tin-foil-hat-wearing financial planners (ehmm… Dennis), your time outdoors will pay dividends for your health.

Make the investment (i.e. get outside!) and reap the returns for mind, body, and soul.

BIG NEWS!

In 2023, we are partnering with Stevyn Guinnip, a financially-focused health coach and founder of Grow Wellthy!

Over the course of 2023 we’ll be offering four virtual events that will help our clients look at their financial plans through the lens of health.

Event Details:

• Topic: “Health Is Wealth”
• Date: Wednesday, January 25th
• Time:  4pm ET

Why Are We Doing This?

With lifespans getting longer and healthcare costs staying high, the impact of poor (as well as exceptionally good) health will have major implications for your household finances.

When working with you and your finances, we never want to miss the forest for the trees.

Good health – whether physical, mental, or emotional – is critical for creating the life of your dreams.

 Remember: Even the most bulletproof financial plans mean nothing if health is lost along the way.

 Statements that might resonate with your health journey: 

• “I feel like I mortgaged my health to grow my career.”
• “I wish I could get healthier, but I can’t fit it into my schedule.”
• “I’ve tried different health kicks, but nothing seems to stick.”

If any of these sound familiar, we encourage you to join us for this virtual event.

Sign up & mark your calendar

Follow this LINK EXPIRED and enter the registration code “WHEALTH” when signing up.

We’ll see you there!

Depression, anxiety, and sleep dysfunction rates among both children and adults have reached epidemic levels and are getting increasingly worse. To our own detriment, many of us go through life not aware of the benefits of conscious breathing.

Out of all the daily self-care modalities available, conscious breathing is arguably the lowest hanging fruit. It does not require much time, it is accessible to individuals of all abilities, and it is free.

Benefits:

One of the greatest benefits of conscious breathing – an umbrella term encapsulating different types of breathwork – is its ability to reprogram our nervous system and combat low-grade, chronic stress.

Physiologically, as opposed to the sympathetic “fight or flight” system, conscious breathing turns on the parasympathetic system – also referred to as the “rest and digest” system – which is essential for overall health and longevity.

Breathwork is essentially our inner pharmacy to calm the mind, relax the body, and even provide us with a boost of energy/clarity. It’s no wonder that the Department of Defense and Navy Seals ascribe to different forms of conscious breathing.

Personally, breathwork can be helpful before, during, or after a difficult, or stressful event. It can help keep us calm in traffic or down-regulate our thoughts/emotions before bed. Professionally, it can calm our nerves before a meeting or speaking engagement.

Interoceptive Awareness

Just as we’re attune to our body’s need to eat or to go to the bathroom, so too should we be mindful of our body telling us we need to breathe. Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl wrote:

“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”

By getting more in touch with what’s going on within us we can better control how we respond to the world around us.

Explore for yourself and consider teaching your children about the benefits of conscious breathing before their sporting events, exams, and during any moments of anxiousness.

Resources

In our blog post on cold therapy, we shared the 4-7-8 breathing technique. Linked below are some additional videos that we’ve found helpful:

5 Ways To Improve Your Breathing with James Nestor (12 minutes)

Breathing Techniques (4 minutes)

Nervous System Reset – Guided Breathwork (22 minutes)

Training for the Centenarian Olympics

Training for a long, healthful, and functional life is not the same as training for performance. Eminent longevity doctor, Dr. Peter Attia, notes that, for most people, the body will fail before the other systems (brain, heart, etc.).

To identify the training protocols that would allow one to compete in what he refers to as “The Centenarian Olympics,” Dr. Attia suggests we should “backcast” (i.e. the opposite of forecast), or reverse engineer, the activities that we would need to do at age 100 and begin training for them today.

Some things your 100-year-old self may need to do:

• Play with your potential future grandkids and great grandkids
• Lift a 30lb suitcase into an overhead bin
• Get up from the ground
• Go grocery shopping and carry two 10lb grocery bags up/down two flights of stairs
• Bathe, shower, and dress yourself independently

Dr. Attia has said: “If you have the aspiration of kicking ass when you’re 85, you can’t afford to be average when you’re 50.”

When backcasting these activities, the training protocols are based around a few essential pillars:

• Stability
• Strength
• Aerobic Performance
• Anaerobic Output

Let’s talk about each of these:

Stability: 

The foundation of the four exercise components – most people start to fail first with their stability. Dr. Attia recommends working with a qualified Postural Restoration Institute professional. You can also practice stability focused routines/exercises which include Pilates, yoga, and tai chi, to name a few. For those striving to be functional 100-year-olds, light stretching should be part of the daily routine and longer 60-minutes stability-focused sessions can be completed weekly.

Strength: 

Aging robs us of our strength – we lose 35-40% of our strength between age 20 and 80. Approximately 1-2% of our strength is lost each year after age 50. In fact, grip strength alone is shown to be a reliable biomarker for future injury (and death) prevention. To maintain strength, longevity experts suggest strength training three days per week. Some longevity-focused strength training exercises are linked here.

Aerobic Performance: 

Aerobic exercise consists of less intense, longer bouts of activity. Dr. Attia is a big proponent of Zone 2 heart rate training for aerobic performance – that is, the highest metabolic output/work that you can sustain while keeping your heartrate 60-70% of your max + lactate level below two millimole per liter.

In other words, for many of us, this might translate to walking uphill on a treadmill at a 15% incline going 3-3.4mph. Another option is riding a stationary bicycle at a pace that allows you to carry a conversation, but the conversation feels a bit strained (the person you’re speaking with would know you’re exercising). Zone 2 aerobic training should, ideally, account for 2-4hrs of your overall activity per week.

Anaerobic Output: 

Anaerobic activities are much more efficient and therefore do not require as much time as aerobic. This type of activity is more intense and focused on your Zone 5 heart rate (i.e. 90-100% of maximum HR). Anaerobic-focused workouts include HIIT, Tabata, and different boot-camp type workouts. However, they can be even shorter (30-60sec) “all-out” bursts of exertion performed by running/rowing/cycling or anything that gets your HR to Zone 5.

Less discussed, but arguably just as important as your physical training for the long haul, is the quality of your sleep. Take a look at our past blog for ways to improve your sleep and increase your quality of life.