Outdoor Activities Are Not Only Fun But Also Very Therapeutic

Classroom education, individual therapy, group therapy and family therapy are extremely important for our youth dealing with behavioral, addiction and emotional disturbance issues, but good outdoor experiences are equally important and without a doubt aid in overall recovery as well as progress.  Each year Triumph Youth Services’ youth have the opportunity to go to Alaska and experience the last frontier up close.  Alaska has a very special spirit, which automatically bonds the boy’s with nature right from the start.  Immediately the boy’s that experience Alaska are awe struck with the vast wilderness as well as the immense scenery around them.  Then when they enter the river, the ocean or even ride on the rural highways, the possibilities of what nature could show them at any given moment almost becomes too much to bare.  At this point with all scenes on high alert and with 20 + hours of daylight, sleep is not an option and instantly they are hooked and every experience they share with Alaska will be permanently stored in their fondest memories, forever. After the overall excitement, anticipation and adrenalin wears down and the boy’s are able to get a little sleep, the appreciation for nature, the humility of being able to enjoy such an experience and overall gratitude becomes evident and that is when you notice true changes in the boy’s.  Some changes are big while others are subtle but make no mistake when you mix good solid treatment and structure with outdoor activities positive change and progress is increased.  My favorite part of Alaska with the boy’s from Triumph Youth Services is the conversations we share with the boy’s being much more open and honest than usual thanks to the spirit of Alaska and the great outdoors.  I have noticed the the boy’s become much more goal oriented after spending quality time in the outdoors and really take a harder look at their futures from simply being surrounded by the tranquility of nature.

I cannot imagine working with youth and achieving the success we achieve through our Triumph Youth Services programs without the consistent use and partnership with nature and outdoor activities/experiences.  The following article discusses the impact of nature and the importance of outdoor activities.   Physical activity and exposure to nature are important to good health In this literature review, Pretty and colleagues examine the role of physical activity and nature contact on health and well-being, with a particular focus on children. The authors discuss the current state of physical inactivity, the positive health benefits of nature contact, and the potential role of green exercise (activity in the presence of nature) toward improving health and well-being. Pretty and colleagues review three stages of childhood and their differing needs, evidence regarding children’s physical activity levels, and the benefits of children’s exposure to nature. The authors discuss the impact of urban design and green space in terms of physical activity and various health outcomes, including cognitive health and learning, as well as the impact of nature-based interventions, such as care farms and wilderness therapy, for children with special needs. Based on their review, Pretty and colleagues propose two conceptual pathways—healthy and unhealthy—that shape our lives and life outcomes. On the healthy pathway, people are active, connected to people and society, engage with natural places, and eat healthy foods and as a result tend to live longer and have a better quality of life. On the unhealthy pathway, people are inactive, disconnected to people and society, do not engage with natural places, and eat unhealthy foods, and as a result die earlier and have a lower quality of life. In concluding their review, Pretty and colleagues make ten recommendations to improve people’s well-being, including increasing children’s outdoor free play and encouraging planners to incorporate access to green space. Author Affiliation: Jules Pretty is with the University of Essex in the UK. Pretty, J., Angus, C., Bain, M., Barton, J., Gladwell, V., Hine, R., et al. (2009). Nature, childhood, health and life pathways: University of Essex. http://www.childrenandnature.org/downloads/CNNHealthBenefits2012.pdf