New website promotes outdoors as a route to better health
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
A new website promoting outdoor activities, spaces and initiatives has been launched by the Highland Green Health Partnership.
It aims to motivate and support people in the Highlands to go outdoors and take small steps towards improving their mental and physical health.
The site – Thinkhealththinknature.scot – has been created to allow users to easily search and source a range of activities, including finding walking paths and green spaces within their area. It also highlights local groups, green health events and initiatives that may be taking place locally.
The partnership is hosted by NHS Highland’s head of health improvement, Cathy Steer. This activity has been funded in part by a £250,000 grant of EU Leader funding being delivered by High Life Highland.
NHS Highland’s health improvement specialist Dan Jenkins said: “We are lucky in the Highlands that we do have a real wealth and variety of opportunities that help us to feel good in the outdoors and connect with nature. And we usually don’t need to travel far at all – nature is always very close to home.”
The aim is to encourage small steps to improve personal health, with no boundaries on age or fitness level. The site has useful resources for the public, as well as for health practitioners keen to promote "Our Natural Health Service”.
The site has been split into eight geographical areas: Badenoch and Strathspey; Caithness; Inverness; Lochaber; Nairn; Ross-shire; Skye and Lochalsh; and Sutherland. This allows users to pinpoint activities available within their community.
Tania Alliod, of High Life Highland, said: “We understand that exercising outdoors may not be everyone’s cup of tea but we want to encourage people to take small steps and make a positive change in their health and wellbeing – it could be anything from a walk to your local park to doing some windowsill gardening.
"These small, positive changes bring huge health benefits that improve over time.”
Mr Jenkins added: “Connecting with nature is about all aspects of our wellbeing. As well as being active it’s about how we feel – finding calm, being mindful, and connecting with others when we can. The website will help to provide the tools to enable people to do so easily.”
Other than access to the directory of green spaces and local activities, users can find mental and physical health-inspired resources relating to the outdoors. These include a list of free apps for people who are on the go, inspiring health case studies and a series of printable nature identification sheets for all ages. It also signposts visitors to several other relevant websites to support healthier lifestyles.
Future plans for the site include inviting local community initiatives and partnerships involved in organising green health activities to share their experiences and projects as guest bloggers. Anyone interested in becoming a blogger, or listing their group or green health initiative on the website, can get in touch by emailing info@thinkhealththinknature.scot
