NATURE | What happens when Joe Wicks spends 24 hours alone in the woods? Featuring neuroscientist Katherine Templar Lewis

Health or Hype

Host Joe Wicks undergoes a 24-hour digital detox in a rare Cornish rainforest to investigate the physiological impacts of nature. Accompanie

Key takeaways

• Merlin Hanbury-Tenison explains that 'forest bathing' can reduce cortisol levels and shift the nervous system from sympathetic to parasympathetic states in as little as 30 minutes.
• EEG testing revealed Joe Wicks' frontal alpha asymmetry doubled within five minutes of entering a natural environment, indicating increased relaxation.

Main topics

• Forest bathing and physiological health
• Digital detox and technology addiction

Notable quotes

These ancient rainforests are basically a giant mushroom with 10,000 fingers... all in constant communication.

Conclusion

Regular, even brief, engagement with nature provides measurable neurol

Transcript preview

Speaker 3 (0:00) Hello, Joe Wicks here, alone and disconnected, exploring a beautiful rainforest in Cornwall. All we were reeled in this episode of Health or Hype from Bupa. Coming up on Health or Speaker 2 (0:12) Hype. These ancient rainforests are basically a giant mushroom with 10,000 fingers. All in constant communication. Speaker 4 (0:18) Dude, these binoculars are powerful. I can see a geyser over there fishing. Yeah, there's Speaker 2 (0:21) so Speaker 4 (0:21) much you can see as we're about to find out. Speaker 1 (0:23) Even if we're not used to being in nature, your brain is. Speaker 3 (0:28) Hello and welcome back to the podcast where I take some of the biggest health questions out there and put them to the test to see what is health and what might just be hype. I've spent more than a decade trying to help people live healthier, happier lives. And something that's always been such an important part of my lifestyle has been getting outside in the great outdoors. Whether that's having a kick about the kids or just going for a walk in the park. So today I'm going to be looking at what nature can do for our health. And a quick reminder that as well as just listen to this, you can also watch it on YouTube, Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Right, come on then, let's get straight into it. I've been taken to the depths of Cornwall because I'm meeting with Merlin Hanbury Tennyson, conservationist, author and veteran. And I've been told I've got a lot Speaker 2 (1:15) to learn from him. Hi, Joe. Speaker 3 (1:17) Hello Speaker 2 (1:17) Merlin, good to meet you. It's so good Speaker 3 (1:19) to be here. Tell me, are we in actual rainforest here in the UK? Because I didn't know it existed. We Speaker 2 (1:24) are. So this is the Cabilla Rainforest in front of us here, which is an 80 acre, 4,000 year old Atlantic temperate rainforest. It's a super rare habitat, but a really special one. Is this quite a Speaker 3 (1:35) unique spot? Is there many rainforests like this in the UK? Speaker 2 (1:37) When people think of the word rainforest, they often think of tropical rainforests like the Amazon. But there was a time when about 20 % of the United Kingdom would have been a temperate rainforest landscape all the way from northern Scotland down past Wales and then down here in the southwest. And over the last few thousand years, we've cut about 98 % of that habitat down. There's almost none of it left. Little tiny special fragments like this that we're fighting to protect and to expand. So this is a Speaker 3 (1:59) special part of the world and what I wanted to say was about the floor like it feels like I'm on this sort of like a ruggy carpet type thing. What is this here? Speaker 2 (2:05) In these ancient temperate rainforests you have a huge amount of what they call mycorrhizal fungus or a mycelial network. So when you look under the soil it's actually it's not soil at all. These ancient rainforests are basically a giant mushroom with 10,000 fingers all growing up. all in constant communication and collaboration with one another. So Speaker 3 (2:21) interesting. Well, that's really why I'm here. I want to sort of understand the importance and how, you know, nature affects us and how it impacts our lives. So could you show me around a little bit? Perfect. Let's do that. Let's go. Speaker 2 (2:35) So what I want to chat to you about today is Speaker 3 (2:37) the Speaker 2 (2:37) concept of forest bathing. Speaker 3 (2:39) Forest Speaker 2 (2:39) bathing? What does that mean? It's one of those things that is as old as time, spending time in nature, but it was really coined in Japan in the 80s and now has come across to the West. And it's the idea that, you know, we really evolved in these wild spaces and by spending time in them in a more embodied and mindful way, we can start to reset our nervous systems and come back to a more natural state of being. That's so interesting. Speaker 3 (3:02) And how long would you need to sort of be within the forest or nature to feel those benefits? Are we talking a few hours at a Speaker 2 (3:07) time? Anything as low as 30 minutes. Just doing it. It's really all about slowing down, about engaging your five senses, about getting off technology and about being quiet and still and being in the moment. This moss Speaker 3 (3:19) is beautiful. I've never seen so much green, vibrant moss on the tree. What is this here? Speaker 2 (3:24) It's Speaker 3 (3:24) a Speaker 2 (3:24) sign of a really healthy rainforest. And what's happening is not only are these trees photosynthesizing, but also all of these plants are. And as they suck in CO2 and pump out oxygen, they lace it with things called volatile organic compounds, which as we breathe them in, do a remarkable thing to our physiology. So it reduces our cortisol levels, increases our immune response. And it puts us from our sympathetic nervous state, our fight or flight, and helps us to move into our parasympathetic state, our rest and digest. Speaker 3 (3:49) I'm going to give it a hug. There we go. Speaker 3 (3:53) I haven't hugged a tree since I was probably seven years old. Why not? Is that a river I can hear down there? Speaker 2 (4:02) It is. This is the Bodolda River, which is an old Cornish word that means sweet water. It's incredibly pure. Clean enough for a swim? Definitely clean enough for a swim. I try and swim in this river every day. So this river doesn't pass a single house, town, factory, anything that could be putting anything bad into the water. So it's completely clean. Speaker 2 (4:24) It's really cold. It's lovely and fresh. Yeah, but look, it's absolutely clean. You see nothing in it. Honestly, this place Speaker 3 (4:30) is something else. And just when I think Merlin has shown me everything, he tells me there's one more surprise in store. So Merlin, Speaker 2 (4:37) is this where I'm staying tonight? This is where you're staying tonight, Joe. Wow. This is a tiny wooden cabin right in the middle of the rainforest. So you're staying in this cabin for the next 24 hours with no phone, no technology, no book, nothing. Speaker 3 (4:50) It's going to be quite difficult, I think, for me. You think I'm going to be all right? Or will we be running back trying to find humans? I think you'll be just fine. Can I journal? I've got a notepad and a pen. Is that okay? You Speaker 2 (4:57) can journal. Right now, I need to confiscate your phone from you, and we're going to go in there and lock it in the lockbox. Speaker 3 (5:01) Okay, I'm just going to see if the superglue that my hand stuck to will... Okay, there you go, Merlin. You can do it. I can do this. I can handle Speaker 2 (5:07) this, can't I? Come on, 24 hours. Let's lock this away. I'm so stuck on that thing all the time. You probably won't even want one afterwards. Speaker 3 (5:15) Joe here. Just a quick reminder, if you're just listening, don't forget you can watch the video version right now on YouTube, Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Speaker 3 (5:25) So Merlin's now left me all alone in this cabin and it's time to get settled. It's small, but it's got all the essentials I need. It's a weird feeling not having the time because usually I've got my watch on my phone, but I've got no concept of time. So I don't know if I've been here an hour or three hours, but my head's definitely thinking about things that I haven't processed, like little arguments in my head or things I haven't talked about with anyone and sort of like playing on my mind a little bit. So I'm trying to write down some of my feelings, what I'm thinking about and stuff. But this is my view this evening then. beautiful green fields as far as the eye can see lovely little cabin i want to get back in nature do some forest bathing like merlin suggested and then i'm going to find that river and i'm going in got my dressing gown on i've got a couple of layers on so when i get out i should be able to get warm run straight back up here this Speaker 4 (6:12) is all i've got i've got no phone but i've got my camera my Speaker 3 (6:14) little portable vlogging camera so i'm taking you with me on the journey Speaker 3 (6:22) I absolutely love these bluebells. I was just thinking as I'm walking down how rare it is that I actually put myself in this situation where I'm truly in nature or unplugged and disconnected from tech and social media. Which is sad, isn't it? But technology is such a big part of our lives now and for me, especially with work, it's like the platform that I speak to everyone on. So I'm really not used to just being with myself. Little chicken. Hello, mate. This is the first living being I've seen since I was dropped off here. Speaker 4 (6:54) I suppose when there's no humans around, you'll end up talking to the animals, won't you? Speaker 3 (6:57) I'm actually going to kick these flip-flop sandals off because they're too squeaky and I want to go barefoot. So it feels really nice to be walking on this lovely earth and it's actually really soft and sort of squidgy and I'm grounding. Proper bit of forest bathing coming up. It's a beautiful forest. Yes, I've followed my senses. I've made it back to the river. Sounds beautiful and the water is going to be very fresh. Speaker 3 (7:29) How spectacular is that? It's a beautiful river running through the middle of the forest. I don't think I've ever been somewhere so beautiful to be honest. Oh, that is chilly. That is so cold. Dressing gowns coming off. I'm going in. I did Speaker 4 (7:58) it. Speaker 1 (7:59) I Speaker 3 (7:59) got in the river. Speaker 3 (8:02) I feel incredible. I feel alive, Speaker 1 (8:04) baby! Speaker 3 (8:05) I feel really lucky that I'm here, really blessed that I've got this opportunity to come here. I never would have known about this place. I never would have came here. One of the things Merlin said I should do whilst forest bathing is to slow down. I was thinking that as I was on the way down here. I was having to really consciously tell myself to slow down and stop walking so fast. I was just in a rush to get there. I was thinking, why am I in a rush? Where am I going? I'm just trying to take some kind of mindful steps and slow down a little bit. Speaker 3 (8:33) and tune into the sounds. I can hear the waterfall there. That's a beautiful sound isn't it? Everything's covered in this really lovely sort of like lichen moss type thing. It's so bright, it's green and like full of life. I might have Speaker 2 (8:47) to go now and make myself a little bit of dinner. Speaker 3 (8:52) So I'm back at the cabin now. I've got no idea what time it is, but the sun is starting to set. Speaker 4 (8:57) I'm well chuffed. I've managed to start a Speaker 3 (8:59) fire outside in the rain. I've kept it going. It's looking great. I'll tell you what as well, do you know what? I haven't done this for years. I've sat down and I've written letters to people. So I've written letters to my brothers, one to Rosie, things that are on my mind that I just haven't said, you know? And I would never, ever think to do that if I wasn't right here now in nature. I would be on my phone. So actually this has really helped me slow down and put some things down that, things I want to say thank you for, things I'm grateful for, things I'm sorry for in the past. Like it's quite a nice process actually. Speaker 4 (9:35) Dearest Speaker 3 (9:35) Rosie, sometimes it takes pausing and stopping to reflect and remember what is important. I've had lots of thoughts and feelings pass through my mind today