Forest Walks Change Brain Structure, Study Finds

Stress is not something you can avoid, but it's something you can manage. Whether it's finances, relationships, or general anxiety, everyone is dealing with something.

When it comes to coping mechanisms, many people brush them off as trite or contrived. There's a level of cynicism because the solutions don't seem real. Recent research, however, has aimed to change that narrative.

Researchers sent 60 people on a one-hour walk: half of them went through a forest, while the other half went down a busy shopping street. Everyone got a brain scan (focused on the hippocampus, the brain's memory/stress-processing hub) right before and right after the walk, so the team could see whether nature versus city walking changed brain structure in real time. These scans reduce the reliance on self-reporting, and give more "tangible" results.

The subiculum grew after the forest walk, but not after the city walk. The subiculum is a small region within the hippocampus involved in dialing down the body's stress response. Among people who walked in the forest, those whose subiculum grew the most also reported the biggest drop in rumination (repetitive, unwanted negative thoughts). This pattern was not seen in the city walking group.

This is described as the first study to suggest that a brief nature exposure can measurably alter brain structure, not just brain activity or mood. The findings hint that nature exposure might help buffer against stress and rumination, both of which are linked to depression, by affecting this specific brain region. But the authors are careful to frame this as an early, exploratory signal, not proof.

The authors freely admit that the statistical significance of this effect is shaky, and that the study needs to be replicated. But it's an intriguing, well-designed pilot study suggesting a forest walk might nudge a stress-regulating brain region in a positive direction.

Copyright 2026 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved

This story was originally published June 21, 2026 at 12:36 PM.