1 00:00:06,444 --> 00:00:08,866 CLAIRE HICKINBOTHAM: Hello and welcome to Nature Fix with me 2 00:00:09,066 --> 00:00:12,629 Claire Hickinbotham. Every month we take you with us as we meet 3 00:00:12,630 --> 00:00:16,012 the people who spend their time outside and join them in a place 4 00:00:16,132 --> 00:00:20,395 that most inspires them. Today we've come back to London to 5 00:00:20,415 --> 00:00:23,378 meet someone whose name is synonymous with walking and 6 00:00:23,398 --> 00:00:24,959 enjoying the great outdoors. 7 00:00:25,800 --> 00:00:30,744 But following a cancer diagnosis in 2021, TV presenter Julia 8 00:00:30,824 --> 00:00:34,607 Bradbury stepped it up a level in researching the reasons why 9 00:00:35,007 --> 00:00:39,030 being outside is so good for you and is now the author of two 10 00:00:39,070 --> 00:00:42,814 books on the subject, Walk Yourself Happy and Hack Yourself 11 00:00:42,894 --> 00:00:43,234 Healthy. 12 00:00:53,202 --> 00:00:58,326 I have arrived in London, well Surrey really, to meet somebody 13 00:00:58,507 --> 00:01:02,710 who is described as a broadcaster, author, cancer 14 00:01:02,770 --> 00:01:06,565 thriver and a heartfelt champion of the natural world and 15 00:01:06,625 --> 00:01:07,566 spending time in it. 16 00:01:07,567 --> 00:01:12,751 It's Julia Bradbury and I'm meeting her at Ham House on the 17 00:01:12,771 --> 00:01:16,654 banks of the Thames and while there are formal gardens here, 18 00:01:16,654 --> 00:01:20,438 we are going to seek out some of the wilder spaces to find out 19 00:01:20,858 --> 00:01:24,902 just why it's so good for you to spend time in nature. 20 00:01:31,472 --> 00:01:34,174 JULIA BRADBURY: Hi Claire, how are you? Nice to see you. I'm a 21 00:01:34,194 --> 00:01:37,296 hugger. I'm a hugger. We're Greek, you see, my family, so we 22 00:01:37,316 --> 00:01:39,557 hug a lot. And if we see some trees, can we hug those as well, 23 00:01:39,597 --> 00:01:39,857 please? 24 00:01:39,858 --> 00:01:40,539 CLAIRE HICKINBOTHAM: Oh, God, yes. 25 00:01:40,539 --> 00:01:41,818 JULIA BRADBURY: Well, we are going to see some trees, so 26 00:01:42,259 --> 00:01:43,479 forgive me if I peel away. 27 00:01:44,060 --> 00:01:46,141 CLAIRE HICKINBOTHAM: Do it, do it. So we are at Ham House. 28 00:01:46,341 --> 00:01:47,402 JULIA BRADBURY: Yes, beautiful. 29 00:01:47,403 --> 00:01:49,663 CLAIRE HICKINBOTHAM: A beautiful part of London. Have you been 30 00:01:49,703 --> 00:01:50,224 here before? 31 00:01:50,704 --> 00:01:53,506 JULIA BRADBURY: It's a familiar part of London to me, and it's 32 00:01:53,546 --> 00:01:56,287 very special. It's incredible to have all this big, green, open 33 00:01:56,347 --> 00:02:00,089 space in London. But this is new and I'm really looking forward 34 00:02:00,090 --> 00:02:01,909 to bringing everybody here because it's stunning. 35 00:02:02,589 --> 00:02:05,310 CLAIRE HICKINBOTHAM: So Ham House is behind us, behind that 36 00:02:05,530 --> 00:02:09,731 by 100 yards is the Thames, so there's lots of accessible space 37 00:02:09,771 --> 00:02:13,632 there but you live in London, how easy is it to find green 38 00:02:13,712 --> 00:02:14,093 space? 39 00:02:14,933 --> 00:02:17,473 JULIA BRADBURY: It's incredibly easy actually, I feel very 40 00:02:17,553 --> 00:02:19,734 blessed and a lot of people are surprised that I live in London 41 00:02:19,754 --> 00:02:22,775 because they think I'd live in the countryside and I do enjoy 42 00:02:22,895 --> 00:02:26,136 it because I can get the access to the green spaces when I am 43 00:02:26,236 --> 00:02:28,157 here. So I might be home for a couple of weeks. 44 00:02:28,558 --> 00:02:31,880 Holland Park is very walkable from our house. 45 00:02:32,181 --> 00:02:34,462 Hyde Park's very walkable from our house. There are lots of 46 00:02:34,743 --> 00:02:37,845 what I would call secret little green spaces, some allotment-y 47 00:02:37,925 --> 00:02:41,668 kind of things, secret gardens that people are looking after. 48 00:02:42,109 --> 00:02:43,790 I'm very close to canals as well. 49 00:02:44,531 --> 00:02:45,932 Every day I'm out walking. 50 00:02:46,713 --> 00:02:50,075 I'm walking the dog, Zeus, who's a fairly recent addition to the 51 00:02:50,076 --> 00:02:53,718 family. I never needed an excuse to walk, but he needs to be 52 00:02:53,758 --> 00:02:56,596 walked now two or three times a day. For those moments when 53 00:02:56,616 --> 00:02:58,617 you're thinking, oh, I'll just sit a little bit longer at the 54 00:02:58,637 --> 00:03:00,958 laptop. You go, no, no, he's there wagging his tail. It's 55 00:03:01,018 --> 00:03:02,359 like, OK, it's time, it's time. 56 00:03:02,739 --> 00:03:04,240 CLAIRE HICKINBOTHAM: And you can't explain to them, can you? 57 00:03:04,241 --> 00:03:05,500 JULIA BRADBURY: No, you can't say. Look, I've got to finish 58 00:03:05,540 --> 00:03:08,081 this. I need to finish this email. I've got a deadline. 59 00:03:08,341 --> 00:03:09,442 CLAIRE HICKINBOTHAM: Should we head up this avenue? 60 00:03:09,482 --> 00:03:10,262 JULIA BRADBURY: Yeah, let's do that. 61 00:03:13,284 --> 00:03:15,184 CLAIRE HICKINBOTHAM: So the formal gardens are kind of the 62 00:03:15,204 --> 00:03:17,865 other side, and this part of Ham is called the wilderness. Is 63 00:03:17,885 --> 00:03:21,027 this the sort of place that you would be drawn to over a formal 64 00:03:21,067 --> 00:03:21,427 garden? 65 00:03:22,187 --> 00:03:25,080 JULIA BRADBURY: I lie anywhere green. For me it's not the 66 00:03:25,160 --> 00:03:28,842 formal garden or the wild garden or the trees are definitely a 67 00:03:28,882 --> 00:03:31,682 pull for me. Oh, hello, parakeets. 68 00:03:31,802 --> 00:03:33,363 CLAIRE HICKINBOTHAM: Oh they are parakeets. 69 00:03:33,364 --> 00:03:34,883 JULIA BRADBURY: So of course we've got an infestation of 70 00:03:34,903 --> 00:03:38,965 parakeets in London and they're very noisy and we've got 71 00:03:38,966 --> 00:03:42,126 parakeets in our garden so I recognise that screech when I'm 72 00:03:42,146 --> 00:03:45,207 doing my morning breath work, which I do every morning, 73 00:03:45,207 --> 00:03:46,387 sitting out on a windowsill. 74 00:03:47,187 --> 00:03:49,048 Often I hear the screech of the parakeets. 75 00:03:49,472 --> 00:03:51,133 CLAIRE HICKINBOTHAM: We've got a squirrel in front of us, so we 76 00:03:51,173 --> 00:03:52,653 are very much in nature, aren't we? 77 00:03:52,654 --> 00:03:53,594 JULIA BRADBURY: We are, look there's another one. 78 00:03:54,934 --> 00:03:56,235 CLAIRE HICKINBOTHAM: I do love them, although you're not 79 00:03:56,255 --> 00:03:57,115 supposed to, are you? 80 00:03:57,216 --> 00:03:58,576 JULIA BRADBURY: No, you're not supposed to because they are a 81 00:03:58,596 --> 00:04:01,738 menace, aren't they? They're little pests, unfortunately. And 82 00:04:01,838 --> 00:04:04,639 I remember doing many a story about the squirrels and how they 83 00:04:04,640 --> 00:04:07,260 were brought over by the Victorians for Countryfile and 84 00:04:07,320 --> 00:04:11,802 how the greys have outrun the gorgeous reds. Yeah, it's such a 85 00:04:11,842 --> 00:04:12,182 shame. 86 00:04:12,482 --> 00:04:14,483 CLAIRE HICKINBOTHAM: It is. You mentioned Countryfile. Let's 87 00:04:14,903 --> 00:04:19,029 backtrack a bit on your TV career because you started as a 88 00:04:19,289 --> 00:04:23,911 showbiz correspondent and then Countryfile came along and then 89 00:04:23,931 --> 00:04:28,033 you have done, I think, pretty much every walking program, so 90 00:04:28,113 --> 00:04:31,454 was it a conscious decision to move in that direction or did it 91 00:04:31,455 --> 00:04:31,894 just happen? 92 00:04:32,214 --> 00:04:33,475 JULIA BRADBURY: So it's interesting you know you said oh 93 00:04:33,476 --> 00:04:35,656 then Countryfile came along I don't think anything in 94 00:04:35,676 --> 00:04:38,717 television just comes along. I think, you know, you're there's 95 00:04:38,718 --> 00:04:41,478 a combination of factors that are at play that, that, lead you 96 00:04:41,479 --> 00:04:44,059 on a career path, and as you said I started out in the 97 00:04:44,079 --> 00:04:47,856 entertainment world. I knew, even when I was doing it, I 98 00:04:47,856 --> 00:04:51,552 loved it and enjoyed it, I was based in Hollywood, it was 99 00:04:51,552 --> 00:04:55,248 really you know, when you're in your 20's and your job is to 100 00:04:55,248 --> 00:04:57,360 chase George Clooney and Arnold Schwarzenegger around red 101 00:04:57,360 --> 00:05:00,528 carpets, that's a pretty cool job that but I also recognised 102 00:05:00,528 --> 00:05:02,529 that I didn't think there was longevity in that. 103 00:05:02,989 --> 00:05:08,571 So when I came back to the UK, I ended up, after lots of 104 00:05:08,591 --> 00:05:12,472 different things, I launched Channel 5, and several years 105 00:05:12,552 --> 00:05:15,853 after that, I found myself having a meeting with the editor 106 00:05:15,854 --> 00:05:19,394 of Watchdog on BBC One, and he'd seen another programme that I'd 107 00:05:19,414 --> 00:05:24,815 done, which was a conversation show, a problem show almost, and 108 00:05:24,935 --> 00:05:29,537 he recognised something in me. That he thought would make me a 109 00:05:29,557 --> 00:05:32,518 good consumer front for Watchdog. 110 00:05:33,118 --> 00:05:35,619 And he really, his name was Doug Carnegie, and he really trained 111 00:05:35,620 --> 00:05:39,100 me up and taught me so much. And I had five fantastic years 112 00:05:39,560 --> 00:05:41,481 presenting Watchdog with Nicky Campbell. 113 00:05:42,841 --> 00:05:46,062 And during that time, I noticed some very interesting programmes 114 00:05:46,142 --> 00:05:49,543 appearing on BBC Four, and that led to a meeting with a 115 00:05:49,563 --> 00:05:52,504 commissioner at BBC Four. And that led to a discussion about 116 00:05:52,564 --> 00:05:55,705 walking and Alfred Wainwright and that led to the first Alfred 117 00:05:55,745 --> 00:05:57,406 Wainwright, the Wainwright Walks series. 118 00:05:58,386 --> 00:06:01,167 So that really was my, pardon the pun, first step into the 119 00:06:01,287 --> 00:06:04,508 outdoor walking world and what I loved about it was this 120 00:06:04,548 --> 00:06:07,768 juxtaposition of on BBC One I was presenting Watchdog and then 121 00:06:07,788 --> 00:06:11,950 I was doing this very different programme, the first of its 122 00:06:12,010 --> 00:06:12,490 kind. 123 00:06:12,850 --> 00:06:17,151 It was quite unusual for a woman to be in that space and what I 124 00:06:17,171 --> 00:06:21,392 was amazed about is that once the first Wainwrights episode 125 00:06:21,412 --> 00:06:25,436 went out, bearing in mind I'd had a reasonable career up to 126 00:06:25,476 --> 00:06:28,699 this stage and Watchdog was watched by sort of between three 127 00:06:28,759 --> 00:06:30,501 and six million people very regularly. 128 00:06:30,941 --> 00:06:33,083 I'd presented the National Lottery, I'd been on Top Gear 129 00:06:33,143 --> 00:06:37,587 so, you know, I had like a mini fan base and stuff, but what was 130 00:06:37,607 --> 00:06:40,130 interesting about Wainwrights is as soon as that first programme 131 00:06:40,170 --> 00:06:44,774 dropped, it was instant. There was such a massive warm response 132 00:06:45,134 --> 00:06:48,377 to them. People were interested that I was following in his 133 00:06:48,417 --> 00:06:49,138 footsteps for a start. 134 00:06:49,139 --> 00:06:51,380 They were like, it's nice to see a woman doing this and having a 135 00:06:51,400 --> 00:06:54,502 fresh pair of eyes on Alfred Wainwright's view of the world. 136 00:06:55,263 --> 00:06:57,885 And then it was like, what boots are you wearing? And, you know, 137 00:06:57,886 --> 00:06:59,546 where did you get that coat and that hat? 138 00:07:00,187 --> 00:07:02,969 And a lot of people saying, thank you, you've brought back 139 00:07:03,069 --> 00:07:05,952 some incredible memories for me about the gorgeous Lake 140 00:07:05,972 --> 00:07:09,134 District. Or, thank you, you've inspired me. I'm going to go and 141 00:07:09,135 --> 00:07:10,996 do that walk. I'm going to do the coast to coast. I'm going to 142 00:07:11,016 --> 00:07:13,658 do Blencathra. I'm going to go and explore Castle Crag. 143 00:07:14,599 --> 00:07:18,001 And that didn't stop. That correspondence didn't stop. It 144 00:07:18,002 --> 00:07:20,302 was emails back then. It wasn't social media, it wasn't what it 145 00:07:20,303 --> 00:07:26,004 is now. So it was interesting and it was lovely and it led to 146 00:07:26,264 --> 00:07:28,985 another series and another series and another series. And 147 00:07:28,986 --> 00:07:30,606 so that was the career change. 148 00:07:30,986 --> 00:07:33,907 That was really the moment, I think, that that became the 149 00:07:33,927 --> 00:07:38,389 focus for the future. And soon after, it was probably four or 150 00:07:38,390 --> 00:07:41,391 five series after that, I had a call and I had a conversation 151 00:07:41,571 --> 00:07:43,431 with the great and the good at the BBC about Countryfile, 152 00:07:43,571 --> 00:07:46,104 And they wanted Matt Baker and I to take on Countryfile and move 153 00:07:46,105 --> 00:07:49,525 it into that Sunday night slot. And really it was cementing a 154 00:07:49,565 --> 00:07:52,686 love of the outdoors because I have been a walker since I was a 155 00:07:52,687 --> 00:07:56,287 little girl. My dad, Michael, grew up in the Peak District. 156 00:07:56,427 --> 00:08:01,109 I went to school in Sheffield and we would spend weekends and 157 00:08:01,269 --> 00:08:04,130 sometimes Friday night after school he'd take me up to the 158 00:08:04,131 --> 00:08:07,331 peaks and that's what we'd do, we'd go exploring together. And 159 00:08:07,332 --> 00:08:10,932 he was a really wonderful tour guide. He was a good tour 160 00:08:10,992 --> 00:08:11,312 leader. 161 00:08:11,900 --> 00:08:14,942 And told wonderful stories and is very knowledgeable about 162 00:08:15,002 --> 00:08:18,043 history and nature so he made it very very interesting and I 163 00:08:18,063 --> 00:08:20,645 think that combined with spending a lot of time in 164 00:08:20,685 --> 00:08:24,227 Rutland with my mum gardening, I think those two things, very 165 00:08:24,407 --> 00:08:28,069 different experiences of the outdoors, but from a very very 166 00:08:28,189 --> 00:08:32,131 early age I think they just seeded this love of nature into 167 00:08:32,151 --> 00:08:32,611 my DNA. 168 00:08:35,173 --> 00:08:38,514 CLAIRE HICKINBOTHAM: Can you pinpoint a time when you just 169 00:08:38,594 --> 00:08:41,456 realised that it made you happy it made you feel better? 170 00:08:42,892 --> 00:08:45,795 JULIA BRADBURY: I don't think there is one moment. I think 171 00:08:45,855 --> 00:08:51,960 because it was such a rich part of my childhood and was always 172 00:08:52,020 --> 00:08:55,444 there, it was the constant. It's like very many things that are 173 00:08:55,464 --> 00:08:57,566 constant in your life, you take them for granted. They're there. 174 00:08:57,726 --> 00:09:01,189 You know that you can always go to them. So you don't 175 00:09:01,229 --> 00:09:04,732 necessarily recognise a moment or a particular thing. There 176 00:09:04,832 --> 00:09:08,015 have been times in my life where I have, but that came much later 177 00:09:08,095 --> 00:09:08,836 in adult life. 178 00:09:10,392 --> 00:09:15,516 I had a breast cancer diagnosis in 2021 which obviously rocked 179 00:09:15,576 --> 00:09:19,820 my world and my families, and I was very shaken by it but what I 180 00:09:19,821 --> 00:09:24,003 remember very clearly is coming back from my mastectomy, after 181 00:09:24,243 --> 00:09:27,666 my diagnosis, so my treatment was a left side mastectomy, and 182 00:09:27,667 --> 00:09:31,169 I came home to my garden in West London and I sat down at my, 183 00:09:31,809 --> 00:09:33,871 I've got a favourite garden table, it's a beautiful wooden 184 00:09:34,151 --> 00:09:37,073 outdoor table, and I felt the grain of the wood underneath my 185 00:09:37,494 --> 00:09:39,956 fingertips and I looked up it was an October day and it was 186 00:09:40,556 --> 00:09:44,941 blue skies, bright sun, and I just said to myself, I'm going 187 00:09:44,942 --> 00:09:48,846 to be outside every single day of my life from now on. 188 00:09:49,327 --> 00:09:50,528 Every single day. 189 00:09:51,750 --> 00:09:54,493 And some people say, but surely you've been outside every day 190 00:09:54,533 --> 00:09:55,895 anyway, because you're the walker, you know, you're 191 00:09:55,896 --> 00:09:56,476 Countryfile. 192 00:09:56,736 --> 00:09:59,059 But actually, no, you know, you can very easily, when you work 193 00:09:59,060 --> 00:10:03,371 at home, you can sit there at the laptop, writing, calls, 194 00:10:03,651 --> 00:10:06,573 developing programme ideas, whatever it might be. Or even if 195 00:10:06,593 --> 00:10:08,675 you get on a train and go somewhere and they get straight 196 00:10:08,676 --> 00:10:11,657 into another building, you can very easily not spend time 197 00:10:11,757 --> 00:10:12,418 outside. 198 00:10:13,539 --> 00:10:18,443 And I think that for me, that has been the most life-changing 199 00:10:18,683 --> 00:10:22,226 thing at this moment in my life, because there was a tree that I 200 00:10:22,227 --> 00:10:26,750 spoke to every day during my diagnosis, a London plane tree 201 00:10:26,790 --> 00:10:29,011 that's outside the window that I mentioned earlier, the bathroom 202 00:10:29,051 --> 00:10:29,372 window. 203 00:10:29,872 --> 00:10:34,815 And I say good morning to that tree every single day. And even 204 00:10:34,835 --> 00:10:37,496 when it's raining, I mean, I say to people, it doesn't matter 205 00:10:37,536 --> 00:10:42,579 about the weather. I make myself engage in what I call nature 206 00:10:42,619 --> 00:10:43,039 snacks. 207 00:10:43,259 --> 00:10:44,220 CLAIRE HICKINBOTHAM: I love that phrase. 208 00:10:44,300 --> 00:10:46,301 JULIA BRADBURY: Yeah, I mean, I do as well. I mean, you've heard 209 00:10:46,302 --> 00:10:50,783 it with exercise snacks. But nature snacks, I think, are so 210 00:10:51,004 --> 00:10:54,786 important to all of us. And nature snacks are things that we 211 00:10:54,826 --> 00:10:59,048 can build into our lives. We don't spend enough time outside. 212 00:10:59,168 --> 00:11:02,050 We spend a lot of time inside. Now, you mentioned some of the 213 00:11:02,070 --> 00:11:04,471 research and science and everything that I've really done 214 00:11:04,551 --> 00:11:07,212 deep dives into. Being inside isn't very good for us. 215 00:11:08,753 --> 00:11:11,195 You know, there are lots of, they're called VOGs, volatile 216 00:11:11,235 --> 00:11:14,376 organic compounds that are, you know, going up into our nose, 217 00:11:14,377 --> 00:11:17,678 we're breathing into our lungs, our sofas are covered in fire 218 00:11:17,718 --> 00:11:21,000 retardants, our carpets use pretty horrible glue underneath 219 00:11:21,060 --> 00:11:21,240 them. 220 00:11:22,621 --> 00:11:25,782 The indoor environment is not a healthy one. So trying to get 221 00:11:25,842 --> 00:11:28,444 outside as often as possible is... 222 00:11:28,764 --> 00:11:31,726 Fundamental to human health and that's what I've learned with 223 00:11:31,826 --> 00:11:34,268 all of the research and the the experts and the doctors that 224 00:11:34,269 --> 00:11:37,371 I've spoken to so if there's one thing that I could say to people 225 00:11:37,372 --> 00:11:41,634 who are feeling fatigued and tired and not well and feeling a 226 00:11:41,654 --> 00:11:47,458 sense of malaise, it's get outside as often as you can. 227 00:11:47,458 --> 00:11:49,820 And I get lots of people who interact with me on Instagram 228 00:11:50,060 --> 00:11:52,462 and I had one lady who said I get really bad headaches and 229 00:11:52,463 --> 00:11:55,900 I've been taking headache pills and all this I said, can I just 230 00:11:55,920 --> 00:11:58,941 suggest that next time you get a headache, stand up, go outside, 231 00:11:58,942 --> 00:12:00,882 and if you can't get outside, just stick your head out of a 232 00:12:00,902 --> 00:12:01,262 window. 233 00:12:02,662 --> 00:12:04,483 And she wrote back to me and she said, I've been doing it ever 234 00:12:04,503 --> 00:12:05,943 since she said that, and she said, my headaches have gone. 235 00:12:06,083 --> 00:12:09,004 She said, it works Yeah. Because she's just, she's probably in a 236 00:12:09,044 --> 00:12:13,025 hot room, she's got, you know, no fresh air, not drinking 237 00:12:13,045 --> 00:12:16,466 enough perhaps, sedentary, so blood not circulating. 238 00:12:16,786 --> 00:12:18,927 Just that combination, that can give you a headache, that can 239 00:12:18,928 --> 00:12:22,148 give you really serious headaches. So there's a lot that 240 00:12:22,149 --> 00:12:23,388 we can all take from nature. 241 00:12:26,976 --> 00:12:29,218 CLAIRE HICKINBOTHAM: In your first book, Walk Yourself Happy, 242 00:12:29,518 --> 00:12:32,281 you talk about sticking your head out of the window. Yes. And 243 00:12:32,282 --> 00:12:35,644 in your second book, you talk about having 120 minutes in 244 00:12:35,744 --> 00:12:36,224 nature. 245 00:12:37,325 --> 00:12:40,588 JULIA BRADBURY: You can build these little nature snacks into 246 00:12:40,628 --> 00:12:44,851 your life. And the 120 minutes, by the way, that was research 247 00:12:44,871 --> 00:12:47,914 that came out of the University Of Exeter. It was a paper that 248 00:12:47,915 --> 00:12:50,536 was led by Professor Matthew White, and it went global, that 249 00:12:50,616 --> 00:12:56,021 news. And it's 120 minutes a week. So it's not you've got to 250 00:12:56,022 --> 00:12:58,983 go out for a two-hour hike, it's across the week so it's 20 251 00:12:59,063 --> 00:12:59,984 minutes a day. 252 00:13:00,784 --> 00:13:05,468 That is sort of the benchmark to be as socially, psychologically 253 00:13:05,608 --> 00:13:09,031 and as mentally happy and it really helps with all of those 254 00:13:09,091 --> 00:13:13,134 markers. It really helps human health on that level and you 255 00:13:13,135 --> 00:13:15,315 know I think the fact that it's not consecutive I think that 256 00:13:15,395 --> 00:13:17,457 makes it imminently doable for all of us. 257 00:13:17,737 --> 00:13:19,699 CLAIRE HICKINBOTHAM: Well I've got a 14 year old son who I 258 00:13:19,719 --> 00:13:22,761 don't walk to school anymore. But there's a lot of people who 259 00:13:22,821 --> 00:13:26,144 do the school run and you probably wouldn't count it as 260 00:13:26,484 --> 00:13:30,487 being outside. But it absolutely is part of 120 minutes, isn't 261 00:13:30,488 --> 00:13:30,607 it? 262 00:13:30,728 --> 00:13:33,970 JULIA BRADBURY: I think the school walk for me with my 263 00:13:34,190 --> 00:13:38,274 children, it's so important for all of us. It's very important 264 00:13:38,294 --> 00:13:41,756 for them. Ten minutes brisk walking and we go the longer 265 00:13:41,837 --> 00:13:42,197 route. 266 00:13:42,317 --> 00:13:44,559 We live in central London. It's polluted. I mean, I'm not 267 00:13:44,619 --> 00:13:47,341 saying, you know, you have to, I say stick your head out the 268 00:13:47,342 --> 00:13:48,862 window, if you're sticking your head out the window and you know 269 00:13:48,902 --> 00:13:51,904 you're over a railway track or you know or or a or a bus lane, 270 00:13:51,984 --> 00:13:54,586 obviously that's not great, so you need to find a little bit of 271 00:13:54,606 --> 00:13:58,828 green somewhere, a little bit of clean air. But for my kids, that 272 00:13:58,988 --> 00:14:01,510 fresh air, that motion, that movement, it's a really 273 00:14:01,730 --> 00:14:04,351 positive, good way for them to start the day. And we go the 274 00:14:04,411 --> 00:14:06,772 longer route so that I know we're going to take in nature. 275 00:14:06,773 --> 00:14:08,793 I know there's a beautiful tree-lined street, there's a 276 00:14:08,813 --> 00:14:11,235 little green bit, you know, a little parky bit that we pass. 277 00:14:11,795 --> 00:14:16,358 That counts. And I know that that counts because for my book, 278 00:14:16,398 --> 00:14:20,100 Hack Yourself Healthy, I wanted to speak to Professor Matthew 279 00:14:20,300 --> 00:14:22,782 White. And asked him if we could do an experiment for Hack 280 00:14:22,782 --> 00:14:26,144 Yourself Healthy. So I made contact with the university and 281 00:14:26,244 --> 00:14:29,627 we did an experiment together. We all went to Cornwall. 282 00:14:29,667 --> 00:14:34,590 My sister Gina came and they had set, Gina and I, some tests. So 283 00:14:34,591 --> 00:14:36,532 we're sitting down at a laptop and they were showing us things 284 00:14:36,533 --> 00:14:39,474 on a screen and we had to respond. And it lasted for about 285 00:14:39,494 --> 00:14:43,077 20 minutes. It was really hard, not as in academically hard, but 286 00:14:43,078 --> 00:14:44,278 you know, you had to concentrate. 287 00:14:44,658 --> 00:14:49,340 So we did this test and then my instruction was to go outside on 288 00:14:49,341 --> 00:14:52,846 a coastal walk, take in everything around me and come 289 00:14:52,866 --> 00:14:55,291 back and then we'd reset the test and we'd see how Gina and I 290 00:14:55,292 --> 00:14:58,838 did again when we were next to each other. And I did that, came 291 00:14:58,878 --> 00:15:02,469 back, opened up the sliding doors and it was quite fusty and 292 00:15:02,470 --> 00:15:04,829 dusty in there and Gina had been drinking coffee and carrying on 293 00:15:04,830 --> 00:15:07,750 with her emails. So we sat down and we did it again and guess 294 00:15:07,810 --> 00:15:07,990 what? 295 00:15:09,130 --> 00:15:13,492 I was faster and I was more accurate and I felt happier. 296 00:15:15,012 --> 00:15:18,253 And I use that now when I'm going around, if I'm giving 297 00:15:18,313 --> 00:15:21,274 talks and I'm going into corporations and talking about 298 00:15:21,275 --> 00:15:24,395 the benefits of nature and health, I use that as a prime 299 00:15:24,415 --> 00:15:27,215 example of if you want a happy, productive workforce. 300 00:15:27,676 --> 00:15:28,816 CLAIRE HICKINBOTHAM: This is what you should be encouraging 301 00:15:28,817 --> 00:15:29,176 them to do. 302 00:15:32,872 --> 00:15:36,315 I am looking for a tree. Oh, there's a big tree. It's a very 303 00:15:36,375 --> 00:15:38,396 big tree. I don't know whether we're going to be able to hug it 304 00:15:38,456 --> 00:15:38,956 completely. 305 00:15:39,056 --> 00:15:40,638 JULIA BRADBURY: No, but it doesn't matter actually. A big 306 00:15:40,718 --> 00:15:41,478 girth is good. 307 00:15:41,998 --> 00:15:43,580 CLAIRE HICKINBOTHAM: So this has got quite rough bark, hasn't it? 308 00:15:43,581 --> 00:15:44,680 JULIA BRADBURY: Yeah, that's alright. 309 00:15:44,681 --> 00:15:46,121 CLAIRE HICKINBOTHAM: So what are we doing? 310 00:15:46,181 --> 00:15:48,603 JULIA BRADBURY: So what we're doing is we're grounding. And 311 00:15:48,683 --> 00:15:51,765 grounding is really good for you. 312 00:15:53,026 --> 00:15:56,769 So grounding is said to reduce inflammation. It helps with 313 00:15:56,829 --> 00:16:00,932 blood as well. And also just generally makes you feel better. 314 00:16:01,832 --> 00:16:05,295 I always say to people if you are feeling really tired and 315 00:16:05,296 --> 00:16:08,618 exhausted, if it's a lovely day one of the best things you can 316 00:16:08,638 --> 00:16:10,700 do, I mean even if it's not a lovely day, but if it's a lovely 317 00:16:10,720 --> 00:16:12,801 day you can take off more clothes, go outside and lie in 318 00:16:12,821 --> 00:16:15,957 the grass, put your bare feet in the grass. 319 00:16:15,957 --> 00:16:16,925 CLAIRE HICKINBOTHAM: It's about touching. 320 00:16:16,925 --> 00:16:18,807 JULIA BRADBURY: It's about touching but it's also about 321 00:16:18,808 --> 00:16:21,629 connecting to Earth's energy and we're sort of plugging in 322 00:16:22,149 --> 00:16:23,631 earthing ourselves. 323 00:16:23,631 --> 00:16:25,492 CLAIRE HICKINBOTHAM: Okay, so you have got your whole body 324 00:16:25,552 --> 00:16:25,712 against... 325 00:16:25,772 --> 00:16:28,054 JULIA BRADBURY: I've got my whole body, I'm full on hug. 326 00:16:28,054 --> 00:16:28,735 CLAIRE HICKINBOTHAM: And the face? 327 00:16:28,735 --> 00:16:29,956 JULIA BRADBURY: And the face yeah. 328 00:16:30,380 --> 00:16:31,701 CLAIRE HICKINBOTHAM: And how long would you spend like this? 329 00:16:31,901 --> 00:16:33,283 JULIA BRADBURY: Oh, I mean you could just do a couple of 330 00:16:33,303 --> 00:16:34,884 minutes with a lovely tree like this. 331 00:16:36,045 --> 00:16:36,866 CLAIRE HICKINBOTHAM: I feel quite calm. 332 00:16:37,046 --> 00:16:38,567 JULIA BRADBURY: It is, it's really calming. 333 00:16:40,529 --> 00:16:42,991 And have a little sniff as well, sniff of the bark. 334 00:16:45,874 --> 00:16:49,096 Something else about us being outside and children being 335 00:16:49,136 --> 00:16:53,000 outside as well is when we do spend more time outside and we 336 00:16:53,080 --> 00:16:57,604 get mud on our hands or soil, or we sniff in a bark like this, 337 00:16:58,108 --> 00:17:02,190 we're inhaling microbes from this outdoor space and from this 338 00:17:02,270 --> 00:17:06,011 tree and they go into our lungs and that's really good for our 339 00:17:06,031 --> 00:17:07,292 immunity as well. 340 00:17:07,812 --> 00:17:08,272 CLAIRE HICKINBOTHAM: It's lovely. 341 00:17:08,492 --> 00:17:10,593 JULIA BRADBURY: I've got a lot of my followers are tree huggers 342 00:17:10,594 --> 00:17:12,714 and they send me lots of pictures of them hugging trees 343 00:17:13,034 --> 00:17:14,395 and they send me lots of pictures of where they've got 344 00:17:14,396 --> 00:17:16,035 the whole family to hug the tree as well. 345 00:17:16,996 --> 00:17:18,076 CLAIRE HICKINBOTHAM: To get everybody round one tree. 346 00:17:18,077 --> 00:17:18,816 JULIA BRADBURY: It's a very nice thing. 347 00:17:19,237 --> 00:17:20,817 CLAIRE HICKINBOTHAM: There's some social connection there as 348 00:17:20,837 --> 00:17:23,078 well which is a big thing for you as well isn't it? 349 00:17:23,079 --> 00:17:24,359 JULIA BRADBURY: Social connection is a big thing for me 350 00:17:24,779 --> 00:17:25,859 and it's a big thing for all of us. 351 00:17:26,059 --> 00:17:31,463 Again, it's one of those really easy hacks that is very 352 00:17:31,523 --> 00:17:35,765 underestimated people die of loneliness and people tend to 353 00:17:35,906 --> 00:17:40,008 suffer from more illnesses when they're living alone and we know 354 00:17:40,489 --> 00:17:43,250 as well there are a couple of studies that show people in 355 00:17:43,270 --> 00:17:46,593 hospital who have more visitors recover faster, and leave 356 00:17:46,613 --> 00:17:48,994 faster, because that social connection. 357 00:17:48,994 --> 00:17:53,197 It's so important and it doesn't have to be, obviously I mean I'm 358 00:17:53,377 --> 00:17:57,140 very blessed. I have a wonderful family and we're very close and 359 00:17:57,568 --> 00:17:59,810 I have that interconnection every day, but not everybody 360 00:17:59,870 --> 00:18:03,152 does. Partners may have passed away, you might be at a later 361 00:18:03,153 --> 00:18:06,494 stage in life. So then the connections that become 362 00:18:06,534 --> 00:18:09,416 important are your friendships, and also they're called weak 363 00:18:09,536 --> 00:18:10,957 connections, weak ties. 364 00:18:11,378 --> 00:18:15,280 So those little outings to the shop, to maybe go and have a cup 365 00:18:15,281 --> 00:18:18,342 of tea or a coffee, and that little, morning, how are you 366 00:18:18,343 --> 00:18:21,144 Claire, are you okay today? Nice to see you, I like your shoes, 367 00:18:21,224 --> 00:18:26,308 that's nice. That's enough to change your day. 368 00:18:26,732 --> 00:18:27,752 CLAIRE HICKINBOTHAM: Because that's not going to happen if 369 00:18:27,753 --> 00:18:28,813 you stay inside. 370 00:18:28,833 --> 00:18:30,574 JULIA BRADBURY: No, no, it's not. 371 00:18:31,394 --> 00:18:33,295 CLAIRE HICKINBOTHAM: You've talked about kind of the health 372 00:18:33,335 --> 00:18:36,056 benefits there and there was a study in your Hack Yourself 373 00:18:36,176 --> 00:18:39,057 Healthy book that I think I've come across before actually 374 00:18:39,678 --> 00:18:43,439 about patients in hospital and the view they had while they 375 00:18:43,499 --> 00:18:47,081 were recovering, whether it was a brick wall or a green view 376 00:18:47,661 --> 00:18:48,881 impacted on their recovery. 377 00:18:49,042 --> 00:18:50,262 JULIA BRADBURY: Yeah, that was interesting. I mean that's 378 00:18:50,362 --> 00:18:52,063 similar to the studies that have been done that show if you're 379 00:18:52,083 --> 00:18:55,084 visited more and you have more visitors you'll leave sooner. It 380 00:18:55,085 --> 00:18:57,845 was a study that was done in the 80s. It's cited quite often. 381 00:18:58,625 --> 00:19:03,227 And it was a hospital in the States. And those patients that 382 00:19:03,607 --> 00:19:09,109 did have the nature view, so a window, and apparently it even 383 00:19:09,189 --> 00:19:14,911 works with a picture of nature as well, those patients had less 384 00:19:15,011 --> 00:19:17,612 pain medication and recovered faster. 385 00:19:21,632 --> 00:19:23,413 CLAIRE HICKINBOTHAM: We are nearly back to where we started 386 00:19:23,934 --> 00:19:26,556 but there was one last thing I wanted to ask you about. You 387 00:19:26,557 --> 00:19:29,118 brought your sister Gina with you today who you've talked 388 00:19:29,158 --> 00:19:31,600 about. She came to Cornwall and did the experiment with you. 389 00:19:32,440 --> 00:19:37,824 Gina runs a website called The Outdoor Guide which has got all 390 00:19:37,884 --> 00:19:40,606 sorts of useful information on there and pit stops. I think 391 00:19:40,607 --> 00:19:43,989 that was one of my favourites. I think this place is on there. 392 00:19:43,990 --> 00:19:44,269 JULIA BRADBURY: Is it? 393 00:19:44,349 --> 00:19:47,011 CLAIRE HICKINBOTHAM: Yes as well as a pit stop. But you have a 394 00:19:47,031 --> 00:19:48,272 foundation as part of it? 395 00:19:49,372 --> 00:19:51,694 JULIA BRADBURY: Yeah, so the Outdoor Guide really was born 396 00:19:51,794 --> 00:19:55,357 out of the response to that first Wainwright series that I 397 00:19:55,377 --> 00:19:58,319 told you. There were so many questions coming in about what 398 00:19:58,320 --> 00:20:00,188 do you wear and where do you walk and which one... What do 399 00:20:00,189 --> 00:20:02,089 you recommend in Norfolk and which one do you remember? I 400 00:20:02,109 --> 00:20:04,231 just couldn't and still can't respond to them all. 401 00:20:04,491 --> 00:20:06,552 So we started logging them all and now they're up on the 402 00:20:06,572 --> 00:20:09,995 website and I think we've got 700 or 800 free, it's all free, 403 00:20:10,175 --> 00:20:13,918 access is all free, downloadable walks and the pit stops and 404 00:20:13,938 --> 00:20:18,060 dog-friendly pubs, for example, or little hotels that you might 405 00:20:18,061 --> 00:20:21,903 want to stay at. So it's a free bit of outdoor inspiration is 406 00:20:21,943 --> 00:20:23,244 how we like to call it. 407 00:20:23,544 --> 00:20:27,807 But the foundation stems really from mine and from Gina's 408 00:20:27,867 --> 00:20:31,298 passion that children really need access to the outdoors and 409 00:20:31,299 --> 00:20:34,380 they need it from an early age consistently and sometimes they 410 00:20:34,381 --> 00:20:36,702 don't get it at home so sometimes that falls on the 411 00:20:36,722 --> 00:20:41,026 school and one of the big barriers to children getting 412 00:20:41,286 --> 00:20:45,550 outside is they don't have an outdoor coat. They haven't got a 413 00:20:45,590 --> 00:20:50,194 basic outdoor coat and a pair of wellies and in some instances 414 00:20:50,534 --> 00:20:53,772 the parents might phone at the school and say Julia can't go 415 00:20:53,812 --> 00:20:56,253 outside today because she doesn't have an outdoor coat and 416 00:20:56,254 --> 00:20:58,393 we've only got one uniform and I don't want it to get wet because 417 00:20:58,413 --> 00:20:59,294 we haven't got any replacements. 418 00:20:59,734 --> 00:21:01,474 What the foundation does is we've created something 419 00:21:01,475 --> 00:21:04,755 called'Waterproofs and Wellies'. It's a set of waterproofs and 420 00:21:04,756 --> 00:21:06,176 wellies and waterproof trousers. 421 00:21:07,716 --> 00:21:10,577 In state primary schools there are thousands of children across 422 00:21:10,578 --> 00:21:13,838 the UK who don't have access to these so people can say I'm 423 00:21:13,858 --> 00:21:17,699 going to supply 20 to my local school. It could be a company or 424 00:21:17,700 --> 00:21:21,860 a business or an individual. And so far we have raised over 425 00:21:22,160 --> 00:21:24,702 £250,000 for the cause. 426 00:21:25,542 --> 00:21:30,846 And it all stemmed from a stat that I read several years ago 427 00:21:30,986 --> 00:21:34,208 now saying that children today, well, we know that children 428 00:21:34,248 --> 00:21:38,231 spend less time outside than ever before. And one of the 429 00:21:38,251 --> 00:21:40,493 stats that came out a few years ago is that children spend less 430 00:21:40,513 --> 00:21:43,074 time outside than prison inmates. And we know, you know, 431 00:21:43,094 --> 00:21:44,135 prison inmates get their hour. 432 00:21:44,675 --> 00:21:45,776 CLAIRE HICKINBOTHAM: That's heartbreaking, isn't it? 433 00:21:46,817 --> 00:21:49,919 JULIA BRADBURY: So the foundation is there to try and 434 00:21:50,159 --> 00:21:54,966 combat that. As well as helping the children one-on-one, it's 435 00:21:54,986 --> 00:21:57,528 also getting the message out there. It's important, you know, 436 00:21:57,648 --> 00:22:00,510 outdoor time is important. And if the school is going to be the 437 00:22:00,550 --> 00:22:03,232 provider, let's enable them to do that. 438 00:22:04,012 --> 00:22:05,734 CLAIRE HICKINBOTHAM: It's about getting the children, isn't it, 439 00:22:05,754 --> 00:22:09,416 and getting them at that age so that then it becomes a lifetime 440 00:22:09,456 --> 00:22:12,738 of needing it and wanting to go outside. 441 00:22:13,039 --> 00:22:16,361 JULIA BRADBURY: I think for me, there were times in my life when 442 00:22:16,761 --> 00:22:19,723 I didn't spend as much time outside as I should have, but I 443 00:22:19,823 --> 00:22:23,165 always came back to it. And I came back to it after my health 444 00:22:23,205 --> 00:22:25,926 scare. And there were other times before that as well. And I 445 00:22:26,127 --> 00:22:30,489 often say that for me, the great outdoors is my therapist, it's 446 00:22:30,549 --> 00:22:32,550 my outdoor gym and it's my best friend. 447 00:22:39,734 --> 00:22:41,675 CLAIRE HICKINBOTHAM: Thanks for listening to this episode of 448 00:22:41,815 --> 00:22:45,637 Nature Fix. If you liked it, why not give us a rating or review? 449 00:22:46,378 --> 00:22:49,319 We'll be back next month as we head outside again for another 450 00:22:49,379 --> 00:22:52,442 fix of nature. But if you can't wait that long, why not check 451 00:22:52,522 --> 00:22:56,327 out our other nature series, Wild Tales, with Rosie 452 00:22:56,387 --> 00:22:58,009 Holdsworth and Ajay Tegala. 453 00:22:59,791 --> 00:23:01,393 I'll see you next time. Bye for now.