StretchLearn Course

Step Outside. Science Says It Works.

Master forest bathing, green exercise, and nature-based stress recovery — and build routines that stick.

Beginner9 hrSelf PacedRegistered

Course Overview

What this course is designed to develop

Decades of field research — from Yoshifumi Miyazaki's forest-bathing studies to the landmark Barton & Pretty meta-analysis on green exercise — show that even brief, intentional time outdoors shifts physiology and cognition in ways no indoor intervention fully replicates. This course translates that evidence into a clear framework: understand why nature works, learn how to dose it, design personal routines, and overcome the barriers that keep most people inside. No special fitness level or equipment is required — only the willingness to step out the door with purpose.

Learning Outcomes

What the learner should be able to understand, build, or execute.

Explain the physiological mechanisms — cortisol reduction, PNS activation, phytoncide inhalation — behind nature's stress-buffering effect

Apply shinrin-yoku (forest bathing) protocols with the correct pace, sensory focus, and duration to maximise measurable outcomes

Design a personalised weekly green-exercise plan using intensity tiers and the dose-response evidence from the Barton & Pretty study

Use Attention Restoration Theory and Stress Recovery Theory to select the right natural setting for mental-fatigue recovery versus acute stress relief

Identify and overcome the top five urban and lifestyle barriers to regular outdoor exposure

Track cortisol proxy markers, mood, and attentional performance to evaluate and iterate your outdoor routine

Curriculum Preview

Inside the curriculum: a structured path from fundamentals to execution.

Preview the course structure, see how the modules build on one another, and understand the path this program is designed to take you through.

Module 1

Module 1: The Science of Nature Exposure

Understand the biological and psychological mechanisms that explain why contact with natural environments reliably reduces stress and improves cognition. Build the evidence foundation that makes everything else in the course credible and actionable.

3 lessons

Why Nature Changes Your BodyContent · 45 min

Preview Enabled

Attention Restoration Theory and Stress Recovery TheoryContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Reading the Evidence: Key Studies You Can QuoteContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Module 2

Module 2: Shinrin-Yoku: Forest Bathing Practice

Learn the Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku — not hiking or exercise, but slow, sensory immersion in a forest — and develop a protocol you can apply in any accessible natural setting.

3 lessons

The Origins and Principles of Shinrin-YokuContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Sensory Practices and InvitationsContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Adapting Forest Bathing to Your EnvironmentContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Module 3

Module 3: Green Exercise and Outdoor Movement

Apply the green exercise research to build outdoor movement habits that combine physical training benefits with nature's psychological and hormonal effects.

3 lessons

What Green Exercise Science Tells UsContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Designing Your Green Exercise PlanContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Tracking Outcomes and Adjusting Your RoutineContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Module 4

Module 4: Building a Sustainable Outdoor Routine

Design and maintain a long-term outdoor wellness habit by addressing barriers, building environmental cues, and creating an outdoor routine that integrates seamlessly with daily life.

3 lessons

The Five Barriers to Outdoor ExposureContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Habit Architecture for Outdoor WellnessContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Your 30-Day Nature Immersion PlanContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Built for Application

A complete learning path, not a one-off inspiration hit.

This program is designed around progression: focused lessons, structured modules, applied resources, assessments, and a course rhythm that turns information into usable capability.

forest bathingshinrin-yokugreen exercisenature therapycortisol reductionattention restorationoutdoor wellness