Healthy by Nature

Using Dorset’s natural environment to support your wellbeing

Did you know that spending time in nature can help you be physically active, reduce your blood pressure, boost your mood, and increase your vitamin D levels?

Getting outside

Living in Dorset we are blessed with many opportunities to be active outside – from a walk, ride or cycle in the countryside; a wander along a river, coast path, or the beach; a visit to a local park or nature reserve; or spending time gardening at home. Most people have access to some form of natural space either on your own or with family and friends and it’s largely free.

The benefits of getting outside to support wellbeing, both physical and mental, is increasingly being documented. It can increase your vitamin D levels, boost your mood, increase a sense of calm, reduce your blood pressure and get you physically active. A number of studies show that exercising outdoors is more beneficial than at a gym. One study showed that those exercising outdoors do so for 30mins more than those at a gym. This may be down to the variety of experiences that getting outdoors gives, such as the seasons and weather. This may help you to repeat the activity so that it becomes a habit because it’s always a little bit different, even if it’s in the same outdoor space.

And you don’t have to be consciously ‘exercising’ to get the benefits. Conservation volunteering gets you active and also supports or improves your mental wellbeing. A study showed a 95% improvement for attendees with low wellbeing after attending conservation volunteering activities after a period of 6 weeks.

Natural Choices

If you fancy getting out in nature on a more structured session, there are many nature-based activities or events which you can attend or join. Within the county there are many nature-based activities or events which you can attend or join, to support your wellbeing. The Natural Choices programme brings many of these together, to make it easier for you to find out what’s on. There are over 60 activities across Dorset including practical conservation volunteering (e.g. hedge laying), gardening, health walks, nature walks, outdoor mindfulness, gardening, Nordic Walking and Park Yoga (in the summer).

Some activities are more physically demanding than others, but you can try different activities out to see what suits you and then maybe move onto something else as you get fitter. The activities are a great way to meet other people and social connection is great in supporting our wellbeing.

Natural Choices activities are run by organisations including Livability Holton Lee, National Trust, Dorset Wildlife Trust, RSPB, EuCAN, Bournemouth Parks, Country Parks including Durlston, Moors Valley, Avon Health and Upton and many of the Walking for Health groups across the county.

How to get involved

If you want to find out about Natural Choices activities near you search the Activity Finder and look for the Natural Choices logo and then contact the providers. You can also be signposted to the activities by LiveWell Coaches if you'd like some support or by health and social care professionals such as GPs or Carers Support Team.

So why not try an activity, or just get outdoors and be healthy by nature!

By Maria Clarke, Dorset Local Nature Partnership Manager and Coordinator for Natural Choices

Durlston Country Park Volunteer
Try us out! Do as much or as little as you want. It is a flexible group so you do not have to go every week, some people come more than once a week, others come as and when they can. It’s very welcoming.

How does this work?

The tailored approach LiveWell Dorset uses to come up with solutions to the things that are stopping us achieving our goals, is based upon work done by University College London developing the COM-B model of behaviour change. In this model, all behaviour is influenced by understanding a person’s capability to change, their opportunity to change and their motivation to change. By understanding which of these is the biggest barrier to change, we can tailor support accordingly. This model of behaviour change is at the centre of the support we offer, online and in person.

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