Spending Just 20 Minutes in an Urban Park Can Make You Feel Happier

by Adeline Dorcas on February 26, 2019 at 12:52 PM

Visiting an urban park often can increase your happiness instantly, reports a new study. The findings of the study are published in International Journal of Environmental Health Research.

A team of researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Occupational Therapy have published new findings that suggest spending 20 minutes in an urban park will make someone happier regardless of whether they are engaging in exercise or not during the visit.

Green Spaces in Urban Areas Promote Physical and Emotional Well-being

A University of Exeter study has revealed the positives of having green spaces like parks and gardens in urban areas, which can go a long way in boosting the quality of life.

‘Visiting the park often can improve your emotional wellbeing. Therefore, make sure to spend at least 20 minutes in an urban park to boost your happiness.’

Tweet it Now

According to the study, urban parks have been recognized as key neighborhood places that provide residents with opportunities to experience nature and engage in various activities. Through contact with the natural environment and engagement in health-promoting and/or social and recreational activities in parks, users experience physical and mental health benefits such as stress reduction and recovery from mental fatigue.

Principle investigator Hon K. Yuen, Ph.D., OTR/L, professor in the UAB Department of Occupational Therapy, said the original intent of the project was to validate previous research findings on the impact of park visit on emotional well-being, and evaluate the contribution of choosing to participate in physical activity in the park in relation to emotional well-being after the park visit.

Green Spaces Found to Increase Birth Weights: Study

Mothers who live near green areas deliver babies with significantly higher birth weights.

"Overall, we found park visitors reported an improvement in emotional well-being after the park visit," said Yuen. "However, we did not find levels of physical activity are related to improved emotional well-being. Instead, we found time spent in the park is related to improved emotional well-being."

Co-author and chair of the department Gavin R. Jenkins, Ph.D., OTR/L, said this means that potentially all people can benefit from time in a park. If you cannot be physically active due to aging, disability or any other limitations, the study implies a person can still gain health benefits just from a visit to a local park.

Participants of the study were adult visitors to one of the three urban parks -- Overton, Jemison and Cahaba River Walk Parks -- in Mountain Brook, Alabama. Data were collected from 98 adult park visitors; four visitors reported that they participated in this study twice. Data from the second participation were excluded, resulting in 94 unique participants participating in the study. These parks were selected for the study because they were the three main public parks in Mountain Brook and had a relatively high volume of visitors daily.

Yuen said several limitations of the study included the lack of objective data to measure emotional health and confining the study to just three urban parks in a six-month data collection period.

Although a small study, Jenkins said the significance of these findings helps reinforce the need for more urban parks and the conservation of those that already exist.

"There is increasing pressure on green space within urban settings," said Jenkins. "Planners and developers look to replace green space with residential and commercial property. The challenge facing cities is that there is an increasing evidence about the value of city parks, but we continue to see the demise of these spaces."

Source: Eurekalert

For Better Mental Health: Choose a Commute With Green Spaces

People who go on their daily commutes through green spaces tend to have better mental health, finds a new study.

<< Cocktail of Chemicals in the Mother May Inhibit Fetal Growth

Study Explores What Tumor Cells and a Healthy Retina Have in... >>

Women Living Close to Urban Green Spaces at Lower Breast Cancer Risk

Breast cancer risk can be lowered among women who live closer to urban green spaces. Exposure to natural green spaces can also help improve memory and behavior.