Visiting a national park can rejuvenate your mind, body, and soul, and research shows it also benefits a country's healthcare system.
As The Conversation reported, a team of Australian researchers found that every trip to a national park near Adelaide in South Australia would shave nearly 100 Australian dollars ($62 USD) off the nation's health budget. On a larger scale, that could save the healthcare system over AU$2 billion ($1.3 billion) annually, assuming roughly 22 million visits to national parks.
Research shows that spending time in green spaces can improve numerous conditions, such as anxiety, depression, stress, obesity, and Type 2 diabetes. The health benefits of the great outdoors are so undeniable that doctors have started prescribing national park passes in Canada.
The Australian researchers said people in disadvantaged inner city areas stand to gain the most from visiting national parks, though they usually have the least access to them. According to their findings, people living in low-income communities have to travel three times farther than those in affluent areas, and as a result, they make 80% fewer trips to national parks.
Because people in underprivileged areas tend to spend more on healthcare, increasing access to green spaces in urban areas could significantly impact the health budget. Overall, the team calculated that visiting national parks could reduce healthcare costs by AU$140 million ($86.6 million) a year in South Australia.
However, it called for the Australian government to invest more in protecting nature and restoring urban biodiversity so everyone can realize the health benefits, regardless of where they live.
The researchers explained that the conservation budget currently accounts for less than 0.1% of total Commonwealth spending. Meanwhile, hospital spending is projected to increase by around AU$2 billion ($1.3 billion) a year.
By expanding access to nature, healthcare costs would potentially decrease — a win-win for people and the healthcare system.
"It can pay to look after nature," the study authors wrote.
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Definitely 👍 "As we come to better understand the relationships between contact with nature and health outcomes we stand a greater chance of investing well, and equitably, so everyone can benefit from improved physical and mental health," they added.
Other experts have found that the practice of "forest bathing" boosts the immune system and even increases levels of anti-cancer proteins. But if you don't have a forest nearby, simply listening to the birds in your backyard can do wonders for your mental health, as one birdwatcher discovered.
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