Our Research on Nature-Based Exercise
Nature-Based Exercise (NBE)
Nature-Based Exercise (NBE) brings together a number of outdoor practices and activities which keep people active. Health and nature research increasingly recognises nature-based activities to contribute towards helping people be:
Nature-Based Exercise (NBE) brings together a range of outdoor practices and activities that keep people active. Health and nature research increasingly recognises that nature-based activities – sometimes described as “green exercise” or “nature-based interventions” – can help people to be:
- More physically active
- Engaged with nature
- Socially connected
- Engaged in environmental improvement
Our work in this field began with an MSc project at the University of Exeter Medical School’s European Centre for Environment and Human Health, and builds on over twenty years of developing educational programmes through MAVERICKS Academy & Training Centre, based in Switzerland.
More recent research has been carried out with Environmental Psychology students at Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), alongside ongoing media research projects linked to documentary films and book development.
2026 ZHAW Research
In the field of environmental and sustainability psychology, students at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences examine how people interact with nature, what drives sustainable behaviour, and how these insights can be applied in real-world contexts.
This project we part of a student project focused on how outdoor activities can influence wellbeing, motivation, and engagement with the natural environment.
2024 Whitepaper
The 2024 Whitepaper was developed as part of an MSc research project in Environment & Human Health, at the University of Exeter.
It is an information document of evidence synthesis for Nature-Based Exercise covering health, wellbeing and economic benefits of Nature-Based Exercise.
Project Lead
Jessica R. Christensen MSc, FCIMSPA (Ch)
Jessica has spent two decades teaching, writing, and presenting on health, sports, and nature sciences. She is the founder of MAVERICKS Academy, a Chartered Fellow of CIMSPA with an MSc in Environment and Human Health, and has a background in media and communications.
Jessica is an author, topic specialist, and educator who works with cutting‑edge nature–human science for evidence synthesis, public communication, and applied practice. Her specialisation is the science that links humans and nature.
It is rooted in the life sciences of evolution, ecology, human health, and behaviour, and in how these interactions affect everyday life. In short, it is the science of how humans and nature interact – shaping the planet, the places we live, and us as individuals.
