Tired of managing blood sugar... Walking here relieves stress

Research has shown that forest healing programs can lower diabetes stress levels and reduce blood sugar.

The Korea Forest Service studied the effects of forest healing programs on blood sugar levels in 57 adults aged 20 to 64 who needed blood sugar management. Participants had a body mass index of 25 or higher and fasting blood sugar levels of 100 mg/dl or higher. The research team divided the participants into two groups: one staying in the healing forest (29 people) and the other experiencing the forest healing program while staying in the healing forest (28 people), then compared and analyzed the changes in blood sugar levels.

According to the research results, simply staying in the forest did not change diabetes-related stress but reduced blood sugar levels by 21.13 mg/dL. However, when participating in a forest healing program, the diabetes stress scale decreased by 4.22, and blood sugar levels dropped by 29.68 mg/dL.

Director Nam Seong-hyun of the Korea Forest Service said, "Forests are spaces for relaxation and healing, as well as intimate spaces where one can interact with nature," and added, "We will continue to provide customized forest healing programs tailored to individuals' health conditions and purposes to contribute to the improvement of public health."

Meanwhile, the Korea Forest Service signed an agreement with the National Health Insurance Service in 2021 to support preventive health management for the public. They launched a pilot project for the Healthy Lifestyle Practice Support Fund system, allowing participants in the preventive category to earn practice points that can be used like cash when completing forest healing programs. 'Preventive category' refers to individuals among those undergoing national health checkups who are at risk of developing diseases based on factors such as body mass index, blood pressure, and fasting blood sugar. To date, about 400 people have participated in the forest healing programs.

Photo provided by the Korea Forest Service