I was recently at a reunion dinner with medical friends. One of them, a family doctor, told me he now routinely prescribes nature to his patients aligned with the amazing initiative PaRx (https://www.parkprescriptions.ca/en-ca).
I remembered a CWIM talk mentioning this in one of the keynote sessions. It was a fascinating talk! I made a mental note to include more nature in my week. Around the same time, I started learning more about global “blue zones” and hearing about senior citizens climbing the steep roads of Sardinia and the community-based exercises in Loma Linda, California.
I liked that the nature prescription was do-able (2 hours a week), pleasant, could be done with my kids, and that the exercises didn’t have to be Physical 100 worthy.
As a city dweller, I wondered if I could get the same benefits.
Longevity here I come!
I added one simple habit to my day: after I dropped off my daughter at school, I would go for a 30-minute walk before starting my day.
I was surprised by how much green space is in my neighbourhood!
One day, I walked by the river. And I saw a salmon swim upstream!
Another day, I sat by the river again. An older woman in her 60s came to sit next to me on the park bench. I didn’t tell her I was a doctor, but she started telling me about her CHF exacerbation! No salmon the second time, but wow my neighbourhood has a lot of dogs and Canada geese.
On yet another day, I decided to look at the neighbours’ gardens during my walk. Green hydrangeas are so popular here–how had I never noticed that? The leaves were changing colour and the streets were filled with crunchy possibilities– so satisfying to walk through!
I did throw in some cafe visits there, but overall? This PaRx habit is a keeper!
Question: “if it’s available to you, can you access nature more often during the week?”
