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“Green exercise” taps into the ancient 
human desire to connect with nature.
Now that you’ve learned about the numerous 
positive effects that movement has on our 
mental health, would you like to know what’s 
even better for your brain than exercise? 
Exercising outside! 
Nature has the power to fill us with wonder and 
awe, give us a sense of belonging, and make us 
more alert. Combined with physical activity, it 
has tremendous positive effects on our mental 
health. For example, within just five minutes of 
“green exercise,” as it’s sometimes called, 
people report major positive changes in their 
mood and outlook. 
If you’re wondering why, just remember that the 
human brain evolved over a long period of time, 
most of which humans spent outdoors running, 
walking, and foraging for food.
Indeed, brain scans show that our default brain 
state is different outdoors than it is indoors. 
Indoors, where Americans now spend an 
average 93 percent of their time, our default 
state shows activation in the brain areas 
responsible for memory, language, and social 
interaction, and slightly leans toward negativity – 
which is why we’re more likely to engage in 
rumination, self-criticism, or worry indoors. 
But when we’re in nature, our default brain state 
more closely resembles the calm, disengaged 
state achieved by experienced meditators. We 
experience less anxiety, are more aware of our 
surroundings, and slip into a state researchers 
call soft fascination. 
Psychologist Alexandra Rosati believes that 
these two different states of the human brain – 
indoors and outdoors, ruminating and mindful – 
correspond to two different types of cognition 
that were crucial to our ancestors’ survival. The 
ruminating state is the outcome of the evolution 
of social cognition, our ability to think about other 
people and cooperate within small groups. The 
mindful state derives from foraging cognition, our 
ability to be alert when hunting and gathering for 
food. Naturally, the latter is brought out best 
when we are outdoors.
People who feel connected to nature tend to 
spend more time in this foraging condition, and 
perhaps, as a consequence, experience greater 
life satisfaction, purpose, and happiness. They 
are also less likely to be depressed and 
anxious. 
The Green Gym initiative in the UK makes use 
of the joy we derive from movement and nature 
by sending volunteers to do nature-based 
activities with a social focus, such as planting 
community gardens. Researchers at the 
University of Westminster showed that after 
eight weeks of the program, Green Gym 
volunteers showed a 20 percent increase in their 
cortisol awakening response – the hormonal 
boost that gets us up and going in the morning, 
and which is often suppressed in depressed 
people.