Benefits of the Berkshire Sculpture Park – Walking, Outdoors, Artwork
There are many benefits to wandering around your local community, or an area you have never explored before. Ranging from decreased blood pressure and stress to improved focus and wellbeing, the great outdoors is praised for its capability to improve human life. Being in green spaces is the most beneficial, however spending only 15 minutes in the sun a day can improve your vitamin D levels, which is an essential element of a well-functioning body. Take those 15 minutes in the sun on a brisk walk to increase your life longevity as well as ticking some minutes off the 150 minutes of weekly recommended exercise. Did you know that a 15-minute walk can also help to curb those chocolate cravings?
You may feel like you get a stretch when you get up and walk around, and this is because walking activates our sitting muscle groups that tighten when we sit for long periods, as well as improving muscle power. Many people find themselves sat in front of technology for work or pleasure in rooms with little sunlight, causing fatigue, bad posture and eyesight problems. Walking in fresh air can help boost your mood and improve your sleep cycle, giving you more energy to complete your tasks for the day. While on that walk you may also find your creative thinking improves due to the few distractions that nature gives the brain. It’s therefore great to take a walk in somewhere like a forest during revision as it will help you consolidate your memories, rather than distract you.
The outdoors is excellent for all ages and helps to improve or maintain health no matter your current condition. From improving children’s physical development and emotional wellbeing through a new learning and exploration environment, to reducing osteoporosis, stroke levels and joint pain in the elderly. Spending time in green spaces has been shown to have a direct positive relationship with a reduction in the risk of early death caused by better air quality, more frequent exercise as well as an increase in social engagement and improvements in mental health.
But what has all of this got to do with the Berkshire Sculpture Park? All the artworks that have been mapped are found outdoors in public spaces. Many of these artworks are part of a larger trail, are surrounded by green spaces, and challenge the mind. The benefits of the outdoors and walking can be seen on any of our trails, or when viewing any of the outdoor artworks that you walk to. There’s also the question of how beneficial viewing artwork is to the body and the mind. Viewing artwork, much like spending time outdoors, can help relieve stress and help with mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety. The brain decides whether it likes an artwork or not in 330 milliseconds, or the speed of a camera shutter, taking in the small details to help you calm down and enjoy the moment. Viewing artwork also helps you to retain and process information better and improve critical thinking.
Strangely, viewing artwork can mimic the sensation of falling in love. When viewing an artwork that you find beautiful, the experience triggers an immediate release of dopamine into the brain, a chemical related to feelings of love, pleasure and desire. This is the same reaction as to when we fall in love. This also aids in calming sensations and to de-stress while improving brain function and normalising heart rate. Gazing at art allows us the chance to switch off and give our bodies and brains a moment to pause, reflect and refresh.
Viewing artwork has been shown to have the same benefits as creating artwork and overlap with those of walking and the outdoors. We therefore encourage you to try our trails, explore your local area, or an area you have never seen before. Get into a regular habit of walking outdoors and viewing artwork to see longer term effects on your physical and mental health. Stay safe during your walks by wearing appropriate footwear, taking provisions such as water and a small snack, and staying on public property.
Berkshire Sculpture Park 