ROOT OUT YOUR RISK OF THE BIG C

AS WELL AS BANISHING THE MIDWINTER BLUES, HEADING TO THE WOODS COULD REDUCE YOUR RISK OF CANCER AND EXTEND YOUR LIFE. IT'S TIME TO BRANCH OUT.

- LOUEE DESSENT-JACKSON

THOUGH WE ALL KNOW that spending time outdoors is good for you, it's long been hard to explain exactly why. To settle the matter, researchers at Nippon Medical School have dug up rock-solid evidence of how natural surroundings can benefit your health.

In an initial study, the researchers observed that ambling in leafy environments reduces stress and blood pressure far more effectively than walks in urban settings. For anyone who has dodged traffic and battled through the 5pm car scrum to get out of Joburg or Cape Town's CBD, that will hardly be a surprise.