Spending time in nature is good for our health. Yes, we knew that. But we didn’t know how much time spent in nature would actually lead to better health. Now, thanks to researchers at the University of Exeter, we know that two hours a week is the magic number.
The study, which used data from nearly 20,000 people in England, found that people who spend at least 120 minutes in nature a week are significantly more likely to report good health and higher psychological wellbeing than those who don’t visit nature at all during an average week. It notes that no such benefits were found for people who visited natural settings such as town parks, woodlands, country parks and beaches for less than 120 minutes a week. It also found that it didn’t matter whether the 120 minutes was achieved in a single visit or over several shorter visits. It also found the 120 minute threshold applied to both men and women, to older and younger adults, across different occupational and ethnic groups, among those living in both rich and poor areas, and even among people with long term illnesses or disabilities.