It’s been a summer to remember (or rather, perhaps one to forget). With the extreme heat so many of us have endured, it’s likely we’ll all embrace these words of F. Scott Fitzgerald: “Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.” If you’ve spent the last several months cloistered in your air conditioning or plunked down in front of a fan, the good news is cooler weather is likely coming and just in time to get outside, as new research examines the complex interactions linking humans with nature and how exposure to nature enhances the physical and mental health of people.

According to a recent Healthline article on this research, this new study highlights a deeper connection and value to spending time in nature. With the benefits of nature coming through visual stimuli along with smells, sounds, and other senses, it appears connection to nature can have such physiological effects as lowering blood pressure, reducing your heart rate, and relieving muscle tension. There are also psychological benefits such as lowering the levels of cortisol racing through your bloodstream and improving your sense of concentration and connection to others. As with other lifestyle changes that improve health, this doesn’t require enormous exposure to gain benefits- it’s believed that as little as 20 minutes a day outside can have positive benefits. And if you can’t get outside? Then bring the outside in with sunshine through your windows, scenes of nature on your walls, or even indoor plants so you’re surrounded by greenery. 

There’s also new research funded by the National Institute on Aging that reports exposure to green space may boost cognitive health. According to this study of over 13,000 women with an average age of 61, those with green space within walking distance of their homes had higher scores on such cognitive functions as thinking and paying attention, translating into their brains appearing 1.2 years younger. While the precise reasons for this cognitive enhancement are unclear, it is thought that living near green spaces may reduce rates of depression which itself is a risk factor for dementia.  And speaking of nature and mental health, there’s another new study published in PLOS One reporting that exposure to green and blue spaces (think of canals and rivers as blue) has a positive association with mental well-being. Not only does exposure to rivers and canals put you near water, but it also likely includes plants, trees, and wildlife, all associated with enhanced mental health. To learn more about this study, pull out your kayak and click here.

Fortunately, there are efforts underway to ensure that older adults have plenty of options for enjoying the outside and being active in nature. First, you may not realize that AARP has been behind a movement to create senior adult outdoor “playgrounds” or fitness parks in all 50 states. Recognizing the crucial role of exercise and strength training for healthy aging, AARP has teamed up with a non-profit organization called FitLot and to date, they have built 53 such outdoor fitness parks around the country. You can find out more about this initiative here and  whether there’s a park near you here. And if you’re thinking about our system of national parks rather than fitness parks, many of these have now been outfitted to meet the accessibility needs of older adults so that everyone can enjoy and benefit from being out in nature. You can find out more about accessibility efforts at national parks here and take a look at an analysis of the most accessible national parks, and what they offer, here. Finally, if you wonder whether visiting national parks is something out of reach at your stage in life, be prepared to be dazzled and inspired by the story of 92-year-old Joy Ryan who’s on a quest to visit every national park in a once-in-a-lifetime adventure with her grandson.