The world is busy and complicated. That’s why it’s more critical than ever for us to take care of our physical and mental health. 

Achieving optimum health takes time (and often money) to do the things that preserve our wellbeing. And in the busy day-to-day routine of our lives, giving ourselves the gift of health doesn’t have to be so far down the list of priorities. A new study supported by Michigan’s Huron-Clinton Metroparks sheds light on a free, easy way to take care of ourselves and save money.

Danielle Mauter, chief of marketing and communications at Huron-Clinton Metroparks, shows how you can take part in the benefits of engaging with your local green spaces.

How did our interactions with parks change during the pandemic?

Mauter: Throughout the pandemic, we saw people flock to green spaces because they were one of the very few things you could do. And there were these added benefits. People found that these natural spaces had a calming effect—a positive effect on mental health. It’s uplifting to reconnect with nature, and it’s good for our health to have a place where you can escape that is natural and allows you to enjoy the fresh air. Research says it’s innately built into us as humans to feel connected to these natural spaces. This became even more important during the worst parts of COVID because we were all isolated, cut off from many of our usual activities, and dealing with a sudden, dramatic increase in stressors in our lives.

How do parks facilitate better health?

Parks became one of the primary places where people went to get exercise during the pandemic. With lots of gyms closed down or operating on reduced capacity, many more people started going outside to run, bike, or just take a walk and get out of the house. Parks gave people a free, safe space to do these things. In some of our parks, we try to capitalize on this by building fit trails, which are marked, measured trails that allow people to keep track of their mileage and even make a few stops to exercise on thoughtfully placed equipment along the trails. Huron-Clinton Metroparks maintains about 400 total miles of trails for all kinds of activities that are safe from traffic, separate from car fumes, and overall much more beautiful than walking down most city streets.

How does better health translate to economic savings?

Countless studies show that if you’re a healthier person, your healthcare costs are lower. Your risk for major health complications like heart disease and cancer is lower. Your immune system is stronger. And typically, your mental outlook is brighter if you maintain a healthy lifestyle of exercise, good sleep, a balanced diet, and other important factors. Many health insurance companies offer discounts for people who can prove they’ve exercised a certain number of times per week because these companies realize that the risk of having to pay out a large claim for those folks is lower. Add that to the fact that by exercising outside, you can save money on things like gym memberships and the cost of gas getting you to and from the health club, and it’s an all-around financial perk.

Do parks help maintain the general health of communities as well?

Definitely. In addition to helping individuals maintain their health, which contributes to the overall health of the population, our research has shown that the stormwater filtration provided by Metroparks is valued at $30.3 million every year. Our parks reduce local pollution control costs by $2.25 million every year. We all know that trees help clean the air by turning carbon dioxide into oxygen, and parks place dozens or hundreds of healthy, mature trees in towns and cities across the region. Plus, by adding porous surfaces like grass and soil, our parks give rainwater a place to go, helping prevent flooding and all of the property and health problems that come with severe weather events like that.

What’s the main takeaway you want people to know?

Parks benefit everyone around them. They benefit physical health, mental health, and community health, and the ripple effects are many and far-reaching. Something as common as a park is easy to overlook as we go about our lives, but these spaces have a tremendous impact that we all should appreciate.

It’s more challenging than ever for many of us to reach our health goals, whether physical or mental. Visiting parks helps us achieve these goals and maintain a more balanced, healthy life, while saving us money and boosting our moods.