Another Reason to Run Cross-Country: Shinrin-Yoku

Belmont Plateau Cross-Country Course, Philadelphia, PA

One of the things cross-country runners love best about their sport is the feeling of running freely through woods and forests. They just know it is good for them.
 Doctors in some East Asia countries are now prescribing what the Japanese call shinrin-yoku or "forest bathing"-- using the senses to soak up the sights, smells and sounds of the of the woods.
  Scientists at the University of East Anglia analyzed the findings of more than 140 studies involving nearly 300 million people from 20 countries including the U.S, Spain, Australia, and Japan.
They found that spending more time outside in nature or leaving near green spaces including urban parks is associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, early death and high blood pressure, as well as with better sleep and stronger feelings of well-being.

Running through Redwoods National Park, California

  In a report in ScienceDaily.com: "Forest bathing is already popular as a therapy in Japan and South Korea. The Study's author Caoimhe Twohig-Bennet says, "Our study shows that they have the right idea."
Breathing in phytoncides, which are organized compounds emitted by trees may stimulate our immune systems and reduce inflammation.
Twohig-Bennet says the study found concrete evidence that green space "significantly reduces people's levels of salivary cortisol- a physiological marker of stress."
Of course, cross-country running is one of the few sports to routinely offer this benefit.

Start of a Gloucester Catholic Cross-Country Meet in New Jersey