Green Health Optimal for Good Mental Health

A new study in the American Chemical Society's journal Environmental Science & Technology is investigating "how much 'green exercise' produces the greatest improvement in mood and sense of personal well-being?" The answer is the right one for people who have little tim ein their schedule's to exercise. It only takes as little as five minutes of being outdoors, whether on a nature trail, gardening, or bicycling to benefit mental health.

Jules Pretty and Jo Barton explain in the study that "green exercise is physical activity in the presence of nature. We know from the literature that short-term mental health improvements are protective of long-term health benefits," Pretty said. "So we believe that there would be a large potential benefit to individuals, society and to the costs of the health service if all groups of people were to self-medicate more with green exercise," added Barton.

Although economic benefits could be substantial, policy makers have the challenge of adopting outdoor physical activity as public policy. Even if it consists of five minutes. "Policy frameworks that suggest active living point to the need for changes to physical, social and natural environments, and are more likely to be effective if physical activity becomes an inevitable part of life rather than a matter of daily choice."

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