Studies continue to back up what we all feel: That going for a hike, a trail run, or a paddle around the lake makes us feel better. Even sitting outside in a grassy park seems to improve our mental health. But a recent Finnish study found that being in nature may actually improve our physical health as well.
Frequent visits to greenspaces were associated with less frequent use of psychotropic, antihypertensive and asthma medications, according to the study by The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare that analyzed results from more than 7,000 surveys. The findings, published in Occupational & Environmental Medicine, suggest that spending time in nature may help improve symptoms related to hypertension, asthma, and depression. [Note: Speak with your doctor before you reduce or stop any medications.]
The study’s objective was to determine whether living within a kilometer of a greenspace (a park or trail) or a bluespace (a body of water) is associated with improved physical health among people living in urban environments. And while the findings supported that time spent in green and blue spaces correlated to…
