Food & Health Alliance

Woodlands and Greenspace and the Promotion of Health and Physical Activity

This briefing paper looks at the evidence base and discusses the importance of spaces and places as contexts for promoting physical activity.

The importance of soaces and places as context for promoting both general health and physical activity has become increasingly acknowledged. In the broad health improvement field this has led to the emergence of a settings based approach that has in turn informed an emergent recognition of the significance of the built environment on physical activity. By means of creating or utilising environments that promote health and physical activity, emphasis has been placed on the role that woodlands and more generally 'greenspace' might play.

This paper discusses the evidence presenting the health benefits associated with physical activity in woodlands and greenspace, including:

Improvements in physical health
Improvements in mental health and wellbeing
The promotion of social and community wellbeing
Educational development
Environmental quality and biodiversity
Economic benefits

As well as exploring the factors associated with increasing levels of physical activity in woodland and greenspace.

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When was this published?

01/12/2007

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