Enjoy regular visits to the American River Parkway for your good health!

One of the reasons many of us live in Northern California is because of the abundant natural and recreation resources available. My family loves to spend time on and in the American River Parkway.  Hardly a visit goes by when one of us will comment how fortunate we are to enjoy this area, and how thankful we are that our community forefathers and mothers set it aside for all of us.  Whether we are hiking, biking, kayaking or paddleboarding, or just hanging out at "our favorite spot," we are always blessed to find and enjoy nature amidst the city life.

For nature lovers like me, there is a new and exciting review of the scientific literature by Ming Kuo from the University of Illinois. It is called, 

"How might contact with nature promote human health? Promising mechanisms and a possible central pathway," 

The article goes into all the reasons, supported in the scientific literature,  that spending time in nature is good for us and suggests that it greatly enhances our immune system. That is very cool. As your Sacramento Chiropractor, I'd say it's time to skip the flu shot and skip on down to the American River Parkway!  It will definitely be more fun. 

In her introduction, she writes:

"Contact with nature has been tied to health in a plenitude of studies. Time spent in and around tree-lined streets, gardens, parks, and forested and agricultural lands is consistently linked to objective, long-term health outcomes. The less green a person’s surroundings, the higher their risk of morbidity and mortality – even when controlling for socioeconomic status and other possible confounding variables. The range of specific health outcomes tied to nature is startling, including depression and anxiety disorder, diabetes mellitus, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), various infectious diseases, cancer, healing from surgery, obesity, birth outcomes, cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal complaints, migraines, respiratory disease, and others, reviewed below. Finally, neighborhood greenness has been consistently tied to life expectancy and all-cause mortality..."  

I'd say this is pretty compelling!

She concludes her article with this:

"Finally, the findings here can help guide the creation of healthy human habitats. The existing literature speaks to the value not only of “wild” nature but also “everyday” nature – the views and green spaces where we live. That physical activity is not consistently related to greener environments suggests that our conceptualization of health-promoting greenspaces should center at least as much on oases as on ball fields, and on greenspaces for walking and quiet contemplation as much as on recreation areas. The findings here suggest that such oases should incorporate plants — especially trees, soil, and water (preferably moving) — and should be designed to induce feelings of deep relaxation, awe, and vitality. Providing these green oases, especially in areas where health risks are high and landscaping is sparse, might be an inexpensive, powerful public health intervention and address persisting health inequalities."

This is timely with our current drought and brown appearances of most of our lawns and yards. Despite the drought, there is still much green, many trees and some moving water along the American River Parkway to enjoy.  

Yes, it is a good idea to support our American River Parkway Foundation, buy an annual parking pass for the parkway instead of parking on the streets,  and then make an effort to get there and enjoy it regularly. You'll do yourself and the community a lot of good. 

Your friendly Sacramento Chiropractor, 

Gregg Anderson, D.C.