Tuesday Tip: Good Green Spaces

The countryside is a good place for
exercise, and inspiration. 

If you work in a studio or an office, it is important for your health to get outside and somewhere green and alive. Going for a walk or taking a drive in the country may not just improve your mood, but help you live longer.

 According to a study published in The Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health in 2006, people who live in or near green spaces are more likely to be healthier and have a longer life-span.

Gardening and working outdoors has been linked with improved immune function, and there is a direct link between being close to where green spaces are visible, and decreased mortality.

While I always knew that I personally felt happier and more balanced when I had spent time in nature, it was a surprise to me when I learned that most people felt the same way too.

Green spaces provide obvious health benefits, like fresh air and sunlight, but it's also about mood and mental health.

 Anything that makes you feel down, depressed or sad is going to negatively effect your vitality, immune function, digestion and heart health. And nowhere is mental health more of a problem than in urban, developed areas.

Trees, flowers, and nature provide a connection to the seasons and the planet itself. It is hard to feel blue when eating wild blackberries, walking alongside a jewel-clear river, or jumping on Autumn leaves.

If you would like to learn more about how rural and urban environments effect our health, this an article I published back in 2011 titled "Differences Between Urban and Rural Lifestyles".