Activating Green Space for Outdoor Exercise and Well-Being

Andy Berg Headshot
[Photo courtesy of the Trust for Public Land]
[Photo courtesy of the Trust for Public Land]

Our definition of fitness has expanded beyond the narrow measures of muscle tone and cardiovascular health. Professionals in the athletics, fitness and recreation industries now understand true fitness to be an amalgam of many aspects of our being. It is now understood that our overall fitness can be impacted by everything from what we eat to the amount of sleep we get to the environment in which we exercise.

A study from the American Chemical Society, which involved a systematic review of a number of smaller studies, found that exercising in a natural environment "was associated with greater feelings of revitalization and positive engagement; decreases in tension, confusion, anger and depression; and increased energy." The study also found that those who exercised outdoors "reported greater enjoyment and satisfaction with outdoor activity and declared a greater intent to repeat the activity at a later date."

A number of organizations that understand the benefits of parks and green space are working hard to ensure that everyone, even those in dense urban areas, have a place near their home where they can move their bodies in a natural environment.
 

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