Health Benefits of Parks and Recreation

Parks and recreation programs help people improve their health status, specifically with obesity prevention. The data from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) show that more than 36.5% of the population in the U.S meet the definition of obesity. And the increasing number of overweight people costs society more than $47 billion a year. Another study of Health Place shows that children who live closer to parks and recreation facilities are more active than those who live further away and children with better access to the parks and recreational resources are less likely to experience significant weight gain. Moreover, parks and recreation programs provide places for health and well-being that are accessible by persons of all ages and abilities. A study by Penn State University showed significant correlations to reductions in stress, lowered blood pressure, and perceived physical health to the length of stay in visits to parks. Participation in physical activity and recreation is also a key to the determinant of health status and is known to: reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, help prevent certain types of cancers and help reduce the incidence of fall- related injuries and chronic conditions in older adults.