This week’s Heart & Stroke article explains that spending time in nature provides significant physical and mental health benefits beyond simply encouraging exercise. Access to parks, forests, and other green spaces is associated with greater physical activity, lower obesity rates, reduced risk of early death, and improved well-being. Research shows that nature can lower stress, anxiety, and depression, improve learning and cognitive function, strengthen community connections, and even contribute to healthier birth outcomes. The article notes that as little as two hours per week in nature can improve health, while just 20 minutes in a park can reduce cortisol, the body’s primary stress hormone.