I love walking. A 30-minute stroll a day is the simplest way to stay out of health trouble. Best, of course, if you could do it in a nature park. When I read this NY Times article about the psychological benefits of walking, I thought I couldn’t keep a news this good to myself. Ergo, this post.
According to the study, city dwellers who walk around ‘natural environments’ could benefit from an immediate boost of moods. If you think the ‘act of walking’ is a brain booster itself, you’re mistaken. Walking in a highway won’t provide the same benefits as sauntering outside in nature.
Brood No More, Visit the Nearest Nature Park
If you find yourself frequently brooding, or ‘constantly thinking over what is wrong with your life or with yourself’, you’ve got to break this habit. In case you haven’t noticed, urban dwellers have a higher tendency to brood compared to rural settlers. The reason? It’s the lack of green spaces.
Dubai dwellers don’t get a lot of sunshine (not because the sun doesn’t show up much, it’s actually the opposite, which is why people hide inside their homes). A scene of greenery is also quite rare in this city but the good thing is, it has some of the best (dedicated) nature parks.
Zabeel Park is one of them. And it happened to be near my old home in Bur Dubai. Here are a few photos of the park that I took over three years ago:
The park isn’t that old – it was inaugurated just last December, 2005. And as of writing, many features have been added to this nature space.
I love how welcoming this place was. What about you? Do you have a favorite nature park? How often do you visit?
No trip to the park is complete without a photo of my favorite subject: bees!
Your brain will thank you if you visit a nature park at least twice a month. More studies are under way to explore how ‘connecting with nature’ uplifts one’s emotional state. Stay curious.
Last picture of my beloved creatures!
P.S. I’ll probably write more about parks in the future so stay tuned.