Hello, and welcome to Living In The Lehigh Valley, where our focus is your health and wellness.

I'm your host, Brittany Sweeney.

The weather is warming up and Mother Nature is calling.

You may have heard about the health benefits of getting out in nature, but if you live in an urban area, it's not always easy to find a space to enjoy the great outdoors.

So a local nature enthusiast is taking us on a tour of some green spaces in and around the Lehigh Valley.

- Simply by being outside and looking at trees, looking at the sky, hearing the birds sing is our blood pressure drops and our heart rate starts to return to a healthy variable level.

- Getting outside in nature has proven health benefits.

- The first thing is it reduces our stress.

In as little as five minutes, the stress hormone cortisol starts to reduce measurably in our bodies.

That's a powerful shift that you may not necessarily be cognitively aware of, but, physiologically things are changing.

- However, for those who live in urban areas, it may not always be easy to find a place to enjoy nature.

So Connor Moriarty, the founder of Reset Outdoors, a company that combines nature with therapy practices, made a list of easily accessible green spaces in the Lehigh Valley, the first being Walking Purchase Park, where we met Moriarty.

It's attached to Dodson Street Park in Fountain Hill, near Bethlehem, into Salisbury Township and Allentown.

- The trees back here in this little stretch are one of my most favorite things about this area.

There are some really tall, beautiful tulip poplars, a bunch of beech trees.

And every once in a while, you find a spruce.

Oh, and even better is when you're walking through the woods and you see a bunch of white flowers this time of year.

There are some dogwoods that pop out of nowhere.

Physicians have been recommending gentle exercise for years and years and years.

I think now it's a pretty commonly understood way to decrease stress, increase cardiovascular health and just spend some time doing something that's moving, getting our blood nice and oxygenated, loosening up our muscles.

All this stuff has been proven to be really powerfully impactful.

- Moriarty says the Valley has some great walking trails for both beginners and experienced hikers.

- A couple other spots that I'd like to highlight are, first and foremost, Jacobsburg State Park, which is up in Nazareth, PA, a short drive from the Valley.

Stunningly beautiful trails and some of the last old growth trees on the East Coast, which is amazing.

Another great place are Wildlands Conservancy in Emmaus.

All sorts of walking trails.

If you're up for really climbing a mountain, there's some good, steep, intense trails.

Or if you want to go for a gentle stroll in the woods, they've got that too.

And finally, Trexler Game Preserve, which is just a tremendous resource, a little bit further west of Allentown, but easy to get to, free to access, and incredibly beautiful.

- Moriarty suggests preparing before heading out by arming yourself with the essentials.

- The first thing I'd recommend is comfortable shoes.

They don't have to be hiking boots.

They don't have to be anything fancy or special.

A good pair of sneakers that you don't mind maybe getting a little dirty is a great place to start.

Clothes that can move and stretch with you, especially this time of year, maybe that you don't mind sweating in, also getting a little dirty.

And the most important thing that I recommend is a full water bottle.

You've got to make sure that you have enough water to stay hydrated.

Lastly, bug spray.

- With a few supplies and the drive to get out into nature, Moriarty says you'll be on your way to better wellbeing.

- So your body is physiologically and automatically responding to simply making time outside in a way that is very healthy and actually reducing stress.

- Moriarty says if you're feeling down or sluggish, a 15 to 20 minute walk outside is proven to boost the mood.

So get out and enjoy the great outdoors while the weather is still nice.

That will do it for this edition of Living In The Lehigh Valley.

I'm Brittany Sweeney, hoping you stay happy and healthy.