Below is the summary of an article that has found a correlation between spending time in nature and various health benefits!

Come out and visit our parks and preserves to start forest bathing and experiencing the benefits yourself!

Scientists at the University of East Anglia analyzed findings from more than 140 studies including almost 300 million people.  From this, they found that spending more time outside or living near green spaces, such as parks, is associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, early death, and high blood pressure.  It is also correlated with better sleep and stronger feelings of well-being.  The correlation could be partly caused because time spent in green spaces promotes physical activity, exposure to sunlight, and reduced pollution.  This act of being in nature is known as “shinrin-yoku”, the Japanese practice of “forest bathing”.  “Forest bathing” entails using the senses to soak up the sights, smells, and sounds of the natural world.  This is commonly used as a form of therapy in Japan and these studies have found concrete evidence that green space significantly reduces people’s levels of salivary cortisol, which is a physiological marker of stress.