A Dose of Nature Improves Concentration | The Institute for Creation Research

A Dose of Nature Improves Concentration

Many have experienced the calming effects that a simple stroll in a park can produce, but scientists are discovering that walking in green surroundings can also reduce the symptoms experienced by children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

In a study published online in the Journal of Attention Disorders,1 researchers at the University of Illinois led children individually through three different environments: a city park and two other less “green” urban settings. They measured an increase in attention after a 20-minute walk in the park. “We don't know what it is about the park, exactly—the greenness or lack of buildings—that seems to improve attention, but the study tells us that even though everything else was the same…we still saw a measurable difference in children's symptoms,” said Frances E. Kuo in a university news release.2

These observations fit well with the creation model, which posits that the Creator engineered green places for the enjoyment and benefit of the first living organisms He created. He placed the first man and woman in an idyllic garden, in which God Himself walked “in the cool of the day.”3 It makes sense that human physiology would respond favorably to the setting in which it was first designed to operate.

These and similar findings may provide urban planners and school architects with the insight and motivation to engineer more green walking spaces which all humans, not just children with ADHD, can frequent. It is already well-known that walking has health benefits, but walking in green places has both measurable cognitive benefits and biblical precedent.

References

  1. Taylor, A. F. and F. E. Kuo.Children with Attention Deficits Concentrate Better after Walk in the Park. Journal of Attention Disorders. Published online ahead of print August 25, 2008.
  2. Taylor, A. F. Research Shows a Walk in the Park Improves Attention in Children with ADHD. University of Illinois Urbana Press Release, October 15, 2008.
  3. Genesis 3:8.

* Mr. Thomas is Science Writer.

Article posted on October 21, 2008.

The Latest
CREATION PODCAST
Homo Naledi: The Lies Behind Evolution's Rising Star | The Creation...
Homo naledi, once evolution's 'rising star,' was considered to be a prime example of human evolution. But is it really proof? Or...

NEWS
A Subsurface Ocean on Mimas?
Scientists have analyzed data obtained from the Cassini spacecraft and concluded that irregularities in the orbit of Saturn’s moon Mimas indicate...

NEWS
In Theaters March 20 & 21: The Ark and the Darkness
Is Genesis true? What about Noah’s Flood? How did Noah fit the animals on the ark? Wasn’t it a local flood? Have you asked these questions? Though...

NEWS
Enigmatic Fossil Plants
The pre-Flood world thousands of years ago was unlike the world of today.1 Unfamiliar animals and plants were common, and there were a lot...

NEWS
Surprisingly Colorful Fossil Snail Shells
Finding organic compounds such as flexible dinosaur collagen and complete bone cells1,2 is becoming common, much to the shock and consternation...

NEWS
March 2024 ICR Wallpaper
"He is not here; for He is risen, as He said." (Matthew 28:6 NKJV) ICR March 2024 wallpaper is now available for mobile, tablet,...

CREATION PODCAST
Homo Erectus: The Shocking Truth About the "Ape Man"...
Homo erectus, or "Upright Man," has been upheld as a piece of mankind's "evolutionary history" since its discovery in 1891....

NEWS
Mystery of Moths' Warning Sound
Insects of all types continue to amaze entomologists with their design and physiology. Cleveland Hickman, Jr., et al. stated, “insect ears are...

NEWS
Geneticist Fired for Affirming Humans Once Lived 900 Years?
Geneticist Alexander Kudryavtsev, the head of the Russian Academy of Science’s Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, has been fired, reportedly...

ACTS & FACTS
Creation Kids: Solar Eclipses
Designed by Susan Windsor* You're never too young to be a creation scientist and explore our Creator's world. Kids, discover fun facts...