Want to Live a Longer, Happier Life? Green Space is a Must!

It’s probably not a surprise to learn that getting out into nature can be good for your health. But what may be a surprise is just how big of an impact that spending time in the great outdoors really can have on your physical and mental well-being.

Especially for those who have grown up in the Seattle area, it can be easy to forget that not all cities are as green as ours. Seattle ranks high both nationally and internationally when it comes to number of trees within the city—just check out Treepedia, a website that shows the “Green View Index” for multiple cities around the world. (Data nerds will especially love this site!)

Seattle is also home to over 485 parks that take up 6,414 acres of land (12% of the City of Seattle’s land area), which means there’s a good chance you live pretty close to a park if you’re in Seattle. Still, some locations are better than others if you want to take advantage of the local park. 

If you’re not in the habit of visiting your local park, then the findings we’re about to share will probably change your mind. 🙂

Keep reading for some great resources + findings about the health benefits of green spaces:

• The Trust for Public Land put together an extensive paper titled “The Health Benefits of Parks” in 2006. Benefits of parks include increasing the likelihood of physical activity, positive brain development, reducing mental stress, and a longggg list of other benefits that are pretty fascinating to read about in the report. 

The playground at Jefferson Park in Beacon Hill

• A recent paper just published at Aarhus University in Denmark in February 2019 shares the results of a study that reveals “Kids who grow up surrounded by nature have up to 55% less risk of developing various mental disorders later in life.” Much of this has to do with the exercise, community, and cognitive development that are encouraged by activities available at and fostered by parks.

The Beacon Hill Food Forest and community garden at Jefferson Park

• Project Evergreen has a great resource (and downloadable fact sheet) titled “Lifestyle Benefits of Green Spaces” (complete with a bibliography if you want to dig deeper). Benefits include everything from mood enhancement, relief from ADD symptoms, road rage reduction, lower blood pressure, and more. It’s a must-read!

One of the play structures at Jefferson Park in Beacon Hill

• According to a study at the Harvard School of Public Health in 2016, “living in or near green spaces can be a boon for longevity, and seeing more greenery may also boost mental health.” In the study, women living in the greenest areas “were 34 percent less likely to die from a respiratory illness than women living in the most paved-over areas. And women living amidst greenery were 13 percent less likely to die of cancer.” The article goes on to list more of the benefits (and accounts for the many different factors involved in the collected data as well).

Jefferson Park Golf Course in Beacon Hill

Want to live in a home where you have your very own backyard and you’re surrounded by parks, bike greenways, trails and more opportunity for outdoor adventure?

This 4-bedroom, 2.5-bath modern home is nestled in Beacon Hill and is surrounded by gorgeous natural greenery and Pacific Northwest beauty… all while offering city amenities right at your fingertips! Click here to see all photos + info.