This isn’t your average prescription.  It doesn’t come in the form of a pill and it doesn’t have scary side effects. The Gallatin Valley Land Trust (GVLT) has teamed up with physicians to write prescriptions for trail walks. The new TrailsRx program encourages medical providers to think about trails as part of a comprehensive treatment plan for patients dealing with obesity, lack of endurance, physical therapy, depression, anxiety and more.

Seven medical offices in the Bozeman area are currently using the TrailsRx program, a fold out brochure with beginner trail routes, recommended exercise, walking tips, and trail information. Over 60 trail prescriptions have been written in the Bozeman area. Providers include family practice physicians at Bozeman Health, physical therapists from Mometum Physical Therapy and Lone Peak Physical Therapy, naturopathic doctors at Spring Integrative Health, and mental health professionals from Gallatin Mental Health Center and Gallatin Psychotherapy.

For 26 years GVLT has been partnering with the City of Bozeman to expand and improve the Main Street to the Mountains trail system. Recently, they decided to start promoting trails as pathways to a healthy life. And the research supports it. Walking outdoors is good for the mind. It reduces stress, improves attention, and decreases anxiety.  And of course, walking is exercise and has numerous health benefits for our bodies.

This information isn’t new or surprising.  Doctors have been encouraging patients to exercise for years. But for many, a gym membership is both expensive and intimidating. A trail prescription can be conveniently located near their home or work and provide them with an easy, entry level way to start exercising on their own terms. Many of the trails in Bozeman are flat and wide, perfect for beginners or patients who have limitations. The TrailsRx brochure further breaks down barriers for patients by providing in depth information about trails such as where to park, distance, difficulty, and what to expect. One physician said she’s been using the prescriptions for “folks that have depression and need motivation to get out. This is an easy way to prescribe clients to do something for self, not others, as it is not ‘scary’ or hard”.

GVLT has launched a weekly walking group, Walk for the Health of It, which meets on Fridays at noon at the base of Peets Hill. Everyone can receive the mental and physical benefits of a trail walk during their work day! Bozeman joins communities around the country who are thinking about trails not just as recreation, but an integral part of a healthy community.  

About Gallatin Valley Land Trust: Gallatin Valley Land Trust connects people, communities, and open lands through conservation of working farms and ranches, healthy rivers, and wildlife habitat, and the creation of trails in the Montana headwaters of the Missouri and Upper Yellowstone Rivers. For more information, visit www.gvlt.org.