Discuss how Outdoor adventure can be seen to contribute to an individual's health and well-being Matthew Hilyer – 2403766 BMSS4008 In this essay, the definition of reason why outdoor adventure is beneficial to health and well-being will be discussed, using a multitude of different peer reviewed reliable sources to provide sufficient evidence to answer the question. Firstly, the positive effects of wild swimming and cold-water effects on the immune system and muscle recovery will be explored. Next, this essay will investigate a study carried out on “at risk youth’s” which experimented with the idea of “adventure therapy” catalogued the results and effects in a palatable way. Following this, an explanation on how outdoor adventure (OAE) takes people out of their comfort zone and leave long-term benefits. Finally, a contrasting paragraph explaining the disadvantages if any, of contribution of OAE. With the rise of popularity of cold-water swimming (CWS) potentially due to the covid lockdowns, brings new light to an incredible adventure sport which has immaculate health benefits (Trends, 2024). Cheung, Hume and Maxwell (2012) explain the most prominent and well researched benefits is the effect of cold water on delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Nahon, Lopes and de Magalhaes Neto (2021) state DOMS through high intensity exercises can cause a differing level of pain and discomfort dependant on the strenuosity of the exercise caused by microtears in the muscle fibres however, Wang et al. (2021) dispute and say it is due to lactic acid build up. This may not be the main reason someone would go CWS however, DOMS can be a debilitation effect from strenuous or even light exercise which can negatively affect future sessions and largely impact general comfort. Another advantage of CWS is its relation to adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) levels. ACTH is produced in the pituitary gland and controls the release of the stress hormone. With one initial submersion there is an increase in production however, after 2.5 months there was a substantial decrease in ACTH and cortisol, thus proving that types of outdoor adventure can increase mental and physical well-being. Both DOMS and cortisol levels can contribute to living an unsatisfactory life due to the discomfort and pain from DOMS however, more pressing are the issues associated with “diurnal cortisol slope” (Cirone, 2019). Figure 1 below is an example of a diurnal slope, it demonstrates how much cortisol is measured in the saliva throughout the day. The more cortisol found in the saliva, the more stress will be present in a person which is demonstrated by the flatter slopes. The effects of higher stress are diet, cancer, depression and obesity (O’Connor, Thayer and Vedhara, 2021) all of which are problems of modern-day life. Figure 1: Diurnal Cortisol Slopes (adapted from Cirone, 2019). Mitten et al. (2016) explain that when on a hike, more calories were used up due to the time spent doing the activity, and expands on the point by saying that with hiking being more enjoyable than traditional forms of exercise, due to the positive stimulation a person gets from nature which is backed up by an abstract “Every green environment improved both self-esteem and mood” (Barton and Pretty, 2010). A study by Bowen Neill and Crisp (2016) provides an example of how nature can be used to better well-being through wild adventure therapy (WAT). WAT statistically proves that mental health has prevailing promising effects on self-esteem and depression. This experiment was a 10-week intervention that took place in the Australian wilderness, where the participants would participate in a multitude of challenging outdoor activities, ranging from caving to rock climbing and assessed at the start and the end whereby their emotional state was tabled charted. One particular case highlighting the true success of adventure therapy and WAT was Susan, who completed phase one and had such a concrete experience, returned to school. This was not just a temporary measure as six months later at a follow up, proved she had continued with her schooling efforts. This is a testament to how impactful and successful WAT and outdoor adventure is to health and well-being (Bowen Neill and Crisp, 2016). With the increase of antidepressant prescriptions Details are in the caption following the image Figure 2: (Increasing antidepressant prescribing in England 1991-2018 (adapted from Kendrick, 2020). Kendrick’s (2020) study looks into the effectiveness of antidepressants in England. Figure 2 suggests that there is a clear lack of efficiency with the increasing prescription rates since 1991 and the efficiency of treatment being subpar. 70-80 percent of patients having symptoms remaining the same would suggest that modern treatments for severe cases of mental health disorders is inefficient and unsatisfactory. Long term users which is a patient who takes antidepressants for a course of 12 months or longer is up to 30 percent. In contrast, it would suggest that there is a necessary replacement in order as Allan, et al. (2020) explains ‘interventions designed to enhance health and wellbeing are becoming more important’. The NHS is currently under a large amount of stress which is seen by Applebya (1996) with the introduction of an efficiency index being introduced in an effort to combat the problem. There is also insurmountable evidence that the NHS workers are treated unjustly and are exasperated as McConnell and Mann ((2024) explain the low pay and long hours which is believed to have caused the strikes in 2023 and 2022. With all this inefficiency and unsatisfaction suggests that there could be an experiment step towards the great outdoors to elevate the NHS crisis. According to Lipinska et al. (2024) CWS can cause death from arrhythmia when the vessels undergo vasoconstriction, this poses a threat to life and puts into question the practise of cold-water swimming however, these authors continued, that with proper acclimatization through a gradual process the risk can be reduced. Thus, it would suggest that steps can be taken to reduce risk and make it viable. Another issue with the out-doors could be the accessibility with outdoor adventure taking place in particular environments. Some people could have a reduction in the number of benefits they can reap for this industry as Lipinska et al. (2024) explain how this problem can be fixed. According to Barroso (2024) there are safety concerns due to not being able to supervise multiple participants at once in environments which can be deemed unpredictable and can turn fatally rapidly. However, with a more linear activity for example, tennis the risks are lower. Another potential issue that faces OAE would be the risk of injury which is amplified by the lack of security due to inability to supervise multiple participants. As explained by Robinson (2012) the risk of injury is still prevalent with all the necessary safety precautions, one of these being buddy check system. The buddy check system is utilized as a last check before doing any dangerous outdoor activity for example, in climbing when the harness has been put on and tied into the wall with the chosen knot and the belay device has been appropriately set up, the belayer will check the safety of the knot and the straps on the harness, in the same vain the climber will check the belay device to see if it is fitted properly. . This can rule out a large portion of incidents which may occur however, this extends the amount of time for each activity which was an issue brought up by Barroso (2024) as well as additional time, there has to be a basic level of risk assessment and understanding of equipment for this practise to be effective. This may pose an issue with younger children as it may not be appealing to learn and understanding safety precautions. As well as this, there may be a level of misunderstanding which would lead to injury if left unchecked. In conclusion, outdoor adventure and health and wellbeing are both heavily intertwined. Both the physical and mental benefits from it are second to none. As well as this, when participating in outdoor adventure it tackles both the mental health crisis and physical health crisis at the same time. There are opportunities to expand on the WAT route to mental health, as seen by the results displayed by Susan and with most outdoor adventure activities being engaging, typically more people may want to partake. Through participating in outdoor adventure regularly, the general public’s health could be significantly improved. Reference List Allen, J., Hardwell, A., Kay, C., Peacock, S., Hart, M., Dillon, M. and Brymer, E. (2020) ‘Health and Wellbeing in an Outdoor and Adventure Sports Context’, Sports, 14(8), pp. 50. doi: 10.3390/sports8040050 Applebya, J. (1996) ‘Promoting efficiency in the NHS: problems with the labour productivity index’, BMJ, 313, pp.1319. 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