{"id":10182,"date":"2016-11-10T10:55:48","date_gmt":"2016-11-10T18:55:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=10182"},"modified":"2024-09-26T12:54:11","modified_gmt":"2024-09-26T19:54:11","slug":"soldier-doctor-power-nature","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/climb\/soldier-doctor-power-nature","title":{"rendered":"A Soldier and a Doctor on the Power of Nature"},"content":{"rendered":"

As we give thanks for their service on Veteran\u2019s Day, REI has asked one vet and a nationally renowned medical researcher to share their views on the healing power of the outdoors. It\u2019s a reminder of how opting outside<\/a> can help each of us rejuvenate and reconnect.<\/p>\n

Joshua<\/em>:\u00a0 I saved my life in the mountains. It wasn’t a deliberate act, like reaching for a life preserver or entering into rehab. It was an accidental, slow, stumbling success that brought me back from the brink, often despite my best efforts to sabotage it through hurting myself and those closest to me along the way. I spent three years in combat in Iraq. The kind of kill-or-be-killed, mangled-people combat that can wreck your mind. It did mine.<\/p>\n

\"vets<\/p>\n

I began climbing in 2008, shortly after I was stationed south of Seattle. While staring at Mount Rainier that rainy spring, I decided that I needed to stand on top of it. I formed a motley crew of soldiers, we taught ourselves to climb, and after one near-disaster on the Disappointment Cleaver, we stood on top.\u00a0 Little did I know that this was a life-changing moment for me. Over the next few years I began to get out more and more, finding the power of nature was at times better for my soul than any band-aid treatment the Army was throwing at me. Once out of the service, I discovered that the outdoors greatly enhanced my mental and physical healthcare. I\u2019d stumbled onto something.<\/p>\n

\"joshua<\/p>\n

I’ve often thought that if our wildest places have kept me alive, there might be something here that can save the lives of others. My story is not unique. I\u2019ve met countless veterans who, whether through chance or purpose, have found their way in the wilderness. After years of seeing this work, I\u2019m convinced that there is more to this than just allegory and romantic philosophy. If we can crack the code on our relationship with nature, we can apply that knowledge to work within nature making healthier, more resilient people.<\/p>\n

The Healing Power of Nature<\/h4>\n

Howie<\/em>: \u00a0I\u2019m a doctor, not a soldier.\u00a0 I can\u2019t possibly understand what Joshua and his fellow service members endured in combat.\u00a0 But as a doctor, I know that the key to successful diagnosis and treatment is listening to patients.\u00a0 There is much truth in Joshua\u2019s deeply compelling account.<\/p>\n

As an epidemiologist, I know that we need solid data to guide how we care for people.\u00a0 We have plenty of data to support Joshua\u2019s account.\u00a0 Over the last couple of decades, researchers have looked carefully at the effects of nature contact on people\u2019s health and well-being.\u00a0 The results are extraordinary.<\/p>\n

Nature contact is linked to reduced stress, better mental functioning, smoother recovery from heart attacks and surgery, stronger connections among people, more physical activity, less obesity, healthier pregnancy outcomes, improved immune function\u2014the list goes on.\u00a0 We can only dream of a medication that yields this many health benefits, as safely and as inexpensively.<\/p>\n

We don\u2019t have all the answers. What is a \u201cdose\u201d of nature?\u00a0 What is the best way to get this dose?\u00a0 How long do the benefits last?\u00a0 Who is most likely to benefit?\u00a0 As time goes on, we\u2019ll learn more.<\/p>\n

But for now, we certainly know enough to act.\u00a0 Hiking, climbing and camping in the great outdoors, spending time in urban parks and greenspace, gardening, even keeping houseplants\u2014all these can justifiably be considered public health interventions.\u00a0 They can restore the body, mind and soul. And it may be no overstatement to say, as Josh did, that they can save lives.<\/p>\n

Dr. Howard Frumkin<\/a> is a professor of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences at the University of Washington School of Public Health. He has worked in academia and public service. At the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 2005 to 2010, he directed the National Center for Environmental Health and Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, where he established programs in Climate Change and in Healthy Community Design. He has served and continues to serve on numerous boards, and has authored or co-authored over 200 scientific articles, chapters and books.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

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