6 Reasons Why Parks Matter for Health

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Access to safe parks plays a huge role in overall health and wellness by promoting promoting physical activity and improving mental health.

Parks even have the potential to reduce health care costs. Unfortunately, there are inequities in Latino kids’ access to parks and safe places to play; therefore, they are at increased risk for mental and physical health problems, according to a Salud America! research review.

Learn more about why equitable access to safe places to walk and play are so important here.

The National Park Service celebrates 100 years of stewardship the week of August 22, 2016. To celebrate this milestone in American history, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Culture of Health blog’s editorial team asked six leaders to their reasons why parks matter for health:

1. Parks Foster Mental, Physical and Spiritual Health
2. Parks Encourage Physical Activity
3. Parks Advance Health Equity
4. Parks Help Kids Flourish
5. Parks are a Powerful Prescription to Combat Chronic Disease
6. We Need Parks to Survive

“Parks help restore people from the stress of day-to-day challenges, hassles and struggles. That’s especially important for people who are more likely to experience discrimination and its psychological toll. Our national parks can foster a sense of community and shared identity,” writes Dr. Myron Floyd, of Recreation and Tourism Management at North Carolina State University, on the RWJF blog.

“For example, The National Park Service attempts to tell the American story from diverse angles in its sites of history and antiquity. That helps build community and sustain our identity as Americans. When people can see themselves in these American stories, they feel, ‘We are part of this story, too. We are part of this country and we have made contributions that are recognized.'”

Read what the Surgeon General has to say about walking.

Share this and tell your school administrators, city leaders, and elected officials that parks and safe places to play matter for your and your family’s health.