Two hours a week, an essential dose of nature for health and well-being

According to a new large-scale study, devoting at least two hours a week to nature can be a crucial threshold for promoting health and well-being.

Research conducted by the University of Exeter, published in Scientific reports and funded by the INDH, revealed that people who spend at least 120 minutes in the wild a week are much more likely to report good health and better psychological well-being only those who do not visit nature for an average week. However, no such benefits have been found for those who visit natural environments such as urban parks, forests, nature parks and beaches less than 120 minutes per week.

The study used data from nearly 20,000 people in England and revealed that it did not matter whether the 120 minutes were reached in one visit or in several shorter visits. It also found that the 120-minute threshold applied to men and women, older and younger adults, from different occupational and ethnic groups, those living in rich and poor areas, and even among people suffering from a long-term illness or disability.

Dr. Mat White, of the Exeter University School of Medicine, who led the study, said: "It is well known that spending time at the University of California," said Dr. Outside in nature can be beneficial for the health and well-being of people, but until now, we have not been able to say how much Nature visits made in As part of this study took place less than three kilometers from home, therefore, even visiting local urban green spaces seems to be a good thing – two hours a week, hopefully, is a realistic goal for many people. , especially be spread out over a whole week to get the profit. "

It is becoming increasingly clear that living in a greener neighborhood can be good for your health, for example by reducing air pollution. The data from this research comes from Natural England's Engagement Monitor with the Natural Environment Survey, the world's largest study gathering data on people's weekly contacts with the natural world.

Professor Terry Hartig of the University of Uppsala in Sweden, co-author of the research, said: "There are many reasons why spending time in nature can be beneficial to health and wellness. well-being, particularly to get a sense of the friends and family situation.The current findings provide valuable support for health practitioners by making recommendations about spending time in the wild to promote health and wellness. basic well-being, similar to the recommendations for weekly physical activity ".

The full document entitled "Spending at Least 120 Minutes a Week in Nature is Associated with Good Health and Well-being", published in Scientific reports.