Health

Nature, Exercise, and Health: "Take a hike and call me in the morning"

"Take a hike and call me in the morning"

By Daphne Miller

Special to the Washington Post

Tuesday, November 17th, 2009

"I have a StairMaster right in my own basement, but honestly it's been there for years gathering dust and making me feel guilty," said Miriam, one of my patients. "It wasn't until I started walking the three-mile trail in the park near my house that I got serious about exercising. I do it now rain or shine. I love the fresh air. The best part is that I get a great workout and don't even mind sweating."

At this point, I have heard enough variations on Miriam's story that I have started to make formal "park prescriptions." The prescribing instructions are considerably more detailed than ones you might get with a medication; they include the location of a local green space, the name of a specific trail and, when possible, exact mileage.

Design Research Conference Call for Papers and Projects

Designing Health
The Sixth Annual Design Research Conference Call for Papers and Projects:
Conference to be held at the Interdisciplinary Design Institute of Washington State University Spokane
October 7 – 8, 2010

“Design” is a dynamic and multi-faceted term. Both verb and noun, it originates in the Latin designare, or, “to mark out.” Thus, design can be understood as both a mental activity that involves the study and transformation of our physical and intellectual surroundings; and as the products of such activity. “Health,” according to the World Health Organization, “…is not only the absence of infirmity and disease but also a state of physical, mental and social well-being.” Design and health have many areas of overlap. How do the designs of our environments, including such specific characteristics as light, color, material, and dimension; and more general characteristics such as proximity to nature, other human beings, and basic services, affect our health? Can good design contribute to good health, and if so, how can we study this relationship and facilitate the most healthful outcomes?