There
is a reason people call it “the Great Outdoors.” People often escape to nature
to relax and recharge from the stressors of suburban life. Wilderness tourism
has been and will probably continue to be very popular. Permit requests to
hike the Pacific Crest Trail increased so dramatically following Cheryl
Strayed’s book about hiking the trail and the film adaptation starring Reese
Witherspoon that the spike is known as “The ‘Wild’ effect.” While there are many enthusiasts
that spring for the harder challenge of higher altitude treks, many tourists
head for the lower altitude camp grounds and hiking trails. This allows
vacationers to experience the full benefits of wilderness tourism without the
knowledge required to battle various ailments of high altitude expeditions.
There is a certain comfort and relaxation that comes with a low altitude
nature getaway. People often credit this to the state of mind that comes with
being disconnected from modern life.
A recent study sought to
examine what physiological effects actually make people feel comfortable and
relaxed at these low altitude camping areas. The authors Chen-Hsu Wang, Audrey
Ming-Li Fan, Chen Lin and Cheng-Deng Kuo found that the real-effects of
low-altitude tourism were not well documented. They decided to test three
different low-altitude locations (30, 520 and 1080 MASL) and examined 49
healthy adults. Electrocardiographic signals were
recorded using a BIOPAC MP System
and analyzed using AcqKnowledge
software. The study found that low-altitude wilderness tourism can lead to an
increase in both Heart Rate (HR) and Blood Pressure (BP), and an increase in
overall Heart Rate Variability (HRV). The paper notes that the greatest
decrease in HR and BP and increase in HRV came around the 520 MASL mark. This
shows that travel in low-altitude mountain areas may be good for physiological
fitness in healthy adults for automatic nervous modulation and blood pressure
regulation, especially in older individuals.
This experiment should
prove to make that next vacation nature-oriented, whether it is to Yosemite,
Big Sur or anywhere in between. This study shows that wilderness trips are not
only good for the soul, but has positive physiological effects for your body
as well.
