A walk in nature could battle depression

Taking a walk in natural surroundings could lead to a lower risk of depression, a new study has found. Researchers at Stanford University found that people who walked for 90 minutes in a natural area showed decreased activity in a region of the brain associated with a key factor in depression, as opposed to participants who walked in a high-traffic urban setting. "These results suggest that accessible natural areas may be vital for mental health in our rapidly urbanising world," said co-author Gretchen Daily, a senior fellow at the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment. "Our findings can help inform the growing movement worldwide to make cities more livable, and to make nature more accessible to all who live in them," Daily said.