Our Versus Arthritis-Funded Activities

Supporting People with Musculoskeletal Conditions Through Nature Connection

We have received grant funding from the Let’s Move Together Fund run by Versus Arthritis to offer people with Arthritis and other similar conditions the opportunity to experience the benefits of increased nature-connection through ‘Forest Bathing’ or 'Forest Therapy'. These session will be run in and around Strontian, Acharacle, Lochaline, Mallaig, Ballachulish and Fort William in October 2021 and March 2022.

Forest Bathing is a practice of walking slowly through a wooded area whilst a Forest Bathing Guide supports you to connect with nature through offering a series of ‘invitations’ - suggestions about how to connect with the woodland around you through your different senses. Forest Bathing walks usually last an hour or two but only cover a short distance, and have a focus on relaxing and connecting with nature rather than reaching a particular destination.  

Forest Therapy has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety as well as reduce your heart-rate and blood pressure. It can offer many benefits for those who struggle with regular physical activity due to conditions like Arthritis and Multiple Sclerosis. A lot of people with such conditions also experience problems like depression, anxiety and stress and this kind of nature-connection activity can reduce these symptoms. Stress reduction is especially important for people with conditions like Arthritis as higher levels of stress hormones such as cortisol in the body can lead to greater inflammation that can make these conditions more painful.

It might seem strange to run these activities in Autumn and Spring, but seasonality can contribute to increased levels of problems in conditions including Multiple Sclerosis and Rheumatoid Arthritis, with Winter and early Spring being the risk factors potentially due to lower vitamin D levels, lower melatonin levels, and the increased incidence of seasonal illnesses.