When it comes to beating stress the tree huggers of the 1960′s may have been onto something.

According to Mind, England and Wales’ leading mental health charity, a new study by the University of Essex compared the benefits of a 30-minute walk in a country park with a walk in an indoor shopping center on a group of 20 members of local Mind associations.

After the country walk, 71% reported decreased levels of depression and said they felt less tense, while 90% reported increased self-esteem.

This was in contrast to only 45% who experienced a decrease in depression after the shopping center walk, after which 22% said they actually felt more depressed.

Some 50% also felt more tense, and 44% said their self-esteem had dropped after window-shopping at the center.

The university also conducted a second study, asking 108 people with various mental health problems about their experiences with ecotherapy. An impressive 94% said that green activities had benefitted their mental health and lifted their depression, while 90% said the combination of nature and exercise had the greatest effect.

Mind describes ecotherapy as “getting outdoors and getting active in a green environment as a way of boosting mental well-being.”

I have frequently advised my patients to get out into the fresh air whenever possible – a park, the beach, or even just a leafy, tree-lined street can fill the bill. Breathing fresh air, especially when compared to breathing stale indoor air, has a very beneficial effect, as does the sun’s natural full-spectrum light.

I think we can safely say that ecotherapy is a safe, effective and very enjoyable method for reducing the effects of stress. A walk outside provides benefits that a treadmill cannot.

Recommended ecotherapy activities include walks, gardening, nature hikes, or any other pleasurable activity that unites physical exertion with nature.

Will you make some time for your self and the great outdoors?