Benefits of Fresh Air

Study Shows Two Hours Per Week In Nature Recommended To Improve Health

The New York Times (6/13, Sheikh) reported that “a wealth of research indicates that escaping to a neighborhood park, hiking through the woods, or spending a weekend by the lake can lower a person’s stress levels, decrease blood pressure and reduce the risk of asthma, allergies, diabetes and cardiovascular disease, while boosting mental health and increasing life expectancy,” and as a result, physicians “around the world have begun prescribing time in nature as a way of improving their patients’ health.” Now, researchers have determined that 120 minutes each week is the recommended amount of time needed to spend outdoors in order to reap the health benefits. The study was published online in the journal Scientific Reports.