‘Park longevity’? 5 ways spending time in green spaces can improve your health

An article presents parks and neighbourhood green spaces as ways city residents may support their physical and mental health, drawing on studies linking exposure to greenery with benefits across several measures. The findings suggest these spaces could contribute to longer, healthier lives, though the evidence described includes associations as well as a short-term experiment.

A 2018 review of more than 140 studies linked green-space exposure with lower heart rate and blood pressure, and reported 16% lower odds of dying from heart-related causes and 31% lower premature mortality overall. Other studies associated greener neighbourhoods with modestly lower dementia and stroke risks, and found diabetes risk was 55% to 62% lower among 22,535 adults in Ningbo. A 30-minute walk in an urban forest was linked to improved mood and attention and lower cortisol; the article also says visiting green spaces may matter more than simply living near them, but its final section is cut off.