1. Schedule regular "nature breaks" throughout your day, even for 10 minutes at a time.
2. Bring greenery or images of natural spaces into your home and office, both of which have been shown to lower stress according to studies.
3. Try “green exercise” - moving your workout outdoors provides benefits. A recent study found that a short, leafy stroll improves working memory and concentration substantially more than completing the same brief walk inside.
4. Turn a regular meeting into a walking meeting outdoors.
5. Eat a meal outside in nature (turn any meal into a fun picnic).
6. Try a no-cost Cincinnati Parks Foundation wellness program such as yoga, forest bathing or meditation.

Read more: UC News: The Healing Power of Nature

Cincinnati Parks & Rec for Wellness

Through a new Cincinnati Parks & Rec for Wellness collaboration, the Osher Center, the Cincinnati Parks Foundation, the Cincinnati Parks, and the Cincinnati Recreation Commission, are on a mission to provide Cincinnatians with opportunities to harness the healing power of nature by providing innovative, evidence-based care and a deeper connection to our local natural world and the communities in which we live and work. The collaboration will provide health and wellness education as well as movement and mindfulness therapies in the parks, providing opportunities for social connection, and healing.

Nature & Lifestyle Medicine

There are 6 Official Pillars of Lifestyle Medicine, and now mounting evidence supports Nature As Medicine as The 7th (Unofficial) Pillar of Lifestyle Medicine.

The Osher Center offers lifestyle medicine consultations, covered by insurance like any other visit with your provider, you will initially meet with your physician or nurse practitioner for one hour. They will learn about your personal, medical and family history; your dietary, exercise and sleep habits; your sources of stress and coping mechanisms, and then will assess your health concerns and evaluate your symptoms, order any necessary tests and create mutually agreed upon lifestyle prescriptions.

Our goal is to work with you to create a personalized self-care plan that you can implement and sustain with your lifestyle. To schedule a consultation, call 513-475-9567.

• Civic Garden Center
• Cincinnati Parks & Rec for Wellness
• Cincinnati Parks Foundation
• Cincinnati Public Library Bird Nerds
• Cincinnati Nature Center
• Park RX America
• Urban Hikers
• UC Field Center

Join our Online Movement Community via Strava!

Nature as Medicine Strava club is about community, not competition - a place to support and inspire one another in our movement journeys, a place to:

• Log walks, runs, and outdoor movement at your own pace and in ways that feel good to you
• Join challenges and community goals
• Discover events and group activities
• Celebrate progress—big or small
• Feel supported and connected, even when moving solo
• Find encouragement and motivation
• Stay connected—even when it’s cold, busy, or hard to start
• Be part of a shared goal for healthier lives in Cincinnati

Click here for our Nature as Medicine Strava Guide to help you create your account and join the community.

Plus, receive an exclusive Flying Pig discount when you join the Nature as Medicine Strava Club!

We are excited to partner with the Flying Pig this spring to offer an exclusive 15% discount on registration for any of the Flying Pig Weekend events. Join the club to access the discount!

Complete Your Nature Rx & Receive 50% Off a Day Pass to Cincinnati Nature Center!

The Osher Center for Integrative Health Nature as Medicine program is excited to partner with Cincinnati Nature Center (CNC) to encourage time in nature as part of a healthy lifestyle. Simply show your completed Nature Prescription form and receive 50% off a Cincinnati Nature Center day pass! With over 20-miles of award-winning trails, you are bound to find one to fit your wellness needs!

How It Works

• Complete Your Nature Prescription: Visit the Osher Nature as Medicine resources page for tips. Save or screenshot the confirmation page or confirmation email.

• Present Your Nature Prescription: Show your Nature Prescription confirmation page/email (printed or on your phone) to the CNC Gatehouse.

• Receive Your Discount: Receive 50% off a day pass to the Cincinnati Nature Center.

• Note: This discount is only eligible at CNC’s Rowe Woods location at 4949 Tealtown Road, Milford, Ohio 45150. Limit one discount per year. A valid photo ID is also required for CNC entry.

Student Resources

Campus Nature Rx

The Campus Nature Rx (CNRx) network aims to bolster healthy campus communities through nature engagement. CNRx is a coalition of over 60 colleges and universities and over 100 professionals dedicated to supporting campus mental and physical health through teaching, research, and outreach.

Campus Nature Rx Resources:

• CNRx Resources Page, including a free Nature Rx: Guide for first year college and university students
• CNRx YouTube channel

Bearcats Pantry Community Resource Garden

Bearcats Pantry - Community Resource Garden is located at 5121 Fishwick Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45216

Student Courses

• Planetary Health Medical School Elective: The Planetary Health and Medicine course is a 4-week part-time elective for fourth year medical students to study climate change impact.
• MEDS 2092: Introduction to Nature Based Therapies and Ecopsychology is an undergraduate course that introduces scientifically-validated strategies around the basic theories and approaches of Nature-Based Therapeutics including restorative environments, therapeutic horticulture, animal-assisted interactions, therapeutic landscapes, forest bathing, green care farming, facilitated green exercise, wilderness therapy and ecopsychology.
• Learn more about Integrative Medicine courses.