A UAB study with the participation of Antoni Sanz certifies the benefits of guided hiking on urban mental health

Guided hiking in nature is consolidated as an accessible and effective strategy to improve emotional and social well-being.

The study, co-authored by Eva González-Estévez, Laura Comendador, Corel Mateo-Canedo, and IRE-UAB researcher Antoni Sanz, is part of the NAT (Nature–Activity–Therapy) project. By evaluating ten routes of low and moderate difficulty, the research team found a very high increase in affective valence and social connections among participants, as well as a notable increase in perceived self-efficacy and emotional control, combined with a significant reduction in perceived stress immediately after completing the activity in the natural environment.

Among the main highlights of the research, a counterintuitive effect of interest for health promotion stands out: the absence of subjective fatigue among the analyzed group. This finding suggests that moderate physical effort in natural spaces is not necessarily accompanied by a feeling of tiredness, which considerably facilitates adherence to this type of healthy activity. Furthermore, the study shows that certain personal factors such as gender, prior loneliness, or environmental context subtly modulate these benefits without altering the overall positive trend.

This scientific evidence reinforces the value of green prescriptions and the social prescription of nature as key therapeutic and preventive tools in current public health. Incorporating guided routes in natural environments makes it possible to offer accessible, non-pharmacological solutions to combat the emotional strain derived from life in big cities. In this way, the design of activities in natural settings is positioned as a strategic resource to improve the quality of life of the urban population and foster community social connection.