Woman exercising in nature wearing Bahé Recharge grounding shoes

Green exercise, forest bathing, Shinrin-Yoku, exercise squared...

Wherever you’re from, whatever you call it, we all intuitively know that spending time in nature, particularly when exercising, is restorative and enriching. Now there is increasing scientific understanding of how exercising in nature (known as 'Green Exercise') in particular can bring us physical and mental health benefits.

Reduced Stress

Woman in yoga pose in nature

We have an instinct to go to nature when we need to feel better. To feel restful. To escape the chatter of life.

By exercising in more natural environments we create a distraction - a positive one - from daily stresses, creating a sense of calm, returning us to our default, non-stressed state.

Being outside also allows us to bask in a photon shower - a burst of natural light - essential for resetting our circadian rhythm, putting us back in sync with nature.

Lower Perceived Exertion

Because running outside is more interesting and more immersive, our cognitive fatigue is reduced. This makes running feel less effortful.

Our base levels of skill, speed and stamina as runners become stronger. We want to run more. We thrive in natural environments.

Because green exercise feels easier, we can train longer and benefit further, as a cycle of physical and mental improvement.

Mental Restoration

Ever felt tired having not done exercise? Sounds like a normal day at work right? Well, that fatigue is partly caused by depleted direct attention - the type of attention which involves a lot of mental effort and concentration to block out distractions.

Being in nature, especially when running, uses what is sometimes referred to as soft focus or indirect attention.

This effortless attention gives us space for reflection and mental recovery, allowing us to restore our attention capacity, making us more effective when we need to be. Green exercise is the ultimate productivity hack.

Exercise cubed venn diagram showing Bahé grounding in the intersection of grounding, green exercise and exercise

exercise 3

Green exercise has been referred to as exercised squared - we believe by adding grounding to your time in nature, it is possible to add another dimension to your time exercising and to supercharge your run.

Runners in nature forest bathing
Runners in nature forest bathing
Aerial of woman tying Bahé Recharge frost grounding shoes

Inspiredbynature

The absence of the straight lines which clutter our busy lives is a feature of nature that helps us escape and enter a more mindful state.

Inspired by this, we designed with more organic flowing lines for a more natural connection even before you lace up.

Inspiredbynature

Natural surfaces come in all shapes and sizes, so we designed to work with these variations.

As well as our sole featuring a triangle cleat formation for grip in all directions, we also applied a natural texture to the surface to ensure optimum traction whatever the terrain.

Inspiredbynature

Natural tones have a relaxing, but invigorating effect on us. They allow us to feel the power of the earth without needing to shout in garish colours.

We took inspiration from the ebb and flow of daylight and the seasons to create our colour palette.