Green Spaces Are Not Just Good for Your Mind

Getting back to nature are good for both you mind and your body.

Photo by Robert Collins on Unsplash

Getting back to nature may be the healthiest thing you can do for yourself. Many studies have now documented what we should have known all along — green spaces are just plain good for the body and the mind.

• Green spaces are right for your mental health. Living in towns and cities with lots of green space can significantly improve your mental health.
• Green spaces are also good for your physical health. But what about your physical well-being? Research published in Scientific Reports finds people who spend at least two hours per week in nature are more likely to report that they are in good health. They also have better psychological well-being compared with those who don’t get any exposure at all. Positive results peaked at 200–300 minutes/week, and it didn’t matter how subjects divided the 120-minute dose of nature — whether a long 2-hour walk or several shorter ones, the results were the same.

Living within a 1-kilometer radius of green spaces was associated with a lower annual prevalence of 15 out of 24 disease clusters, including heart disease, musculoskeletal disorders, mental illness, respiratory, neurological, and digestive diseases a study by Dutch researchers.