“Like a mental shower”: understanding walking in nature as a mobile therapeutic landscape among older adults

Abstract

Walking in nature contributes to older adults’ well-being, yet policy and spatial planning often overlook older adults’ sensory experiences and needs in nature. Using the therapeutic landscape framework, this study explores how walking becomes a multisensory and emotionally resonant practice for older people. Drawing on focus groups with older adults aged 65–80 in Sweden and Italy, we analyse everyday and extraordinary walking experiences. Findings show that walking supports routines, social bonding, and mindfulness, while also facilitating reflection and intergenerational connection in scenic settings. We advocate for planning approaches that address and integrate older adults’ multisensory experiences, recognising walking as a therapeutic engagement with nature. The study contributes to health geography by foregrounding older adults’ lived experiences of walking and supporting age-friendly planning.