February 2nd

By Mutt Mulligan

New Year’s resolution reminder: backyard health benefits

How are your New Year’s resolutions coming? Research shows only about 8% of people achieve their New Year’s resolutions.

But if yours was to live a healthier life, TurfMutt has good news for you! You only have to go as far as your own backyard to get back on track.

Go green for good health.
Dutch researchers found that people who live within a half mile of green space (such as parks, public gardens and green ways) have a lower incidence of 15 diseases. That list includes depression, anxiety, heart disease, diabetes, asthma and migraines. A 2015 study found that people living on streets with more trees had a boost in heart and metabolic health.

Living landscapes make you smarter.
Children who are exposed to greenery have improved attention and working memory benefits, according to a study led by Payam Dadvand of the Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology in Barcelona. In addition, exposure to natural settings may be widely effective in reducing attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms in children.

Mom and dad, green improves your smarts, too! Research has also shown that being around plants helps you concentrate better at home and at work. Charlie Hall, Ellison Chair in International Floriculture at Texas A&M University, believes that spending time in gardens can improve attention span and memory performance by as much as 20 percent.

Also, a National Institute of Health study found that adults demonstrate significant cognitive gains after going on a nature walk. In addition, a Stanford University study found that walking in nature, rather than a concrete-oriented, urban environment, resulted in decreased anxiety, rumination, and negative affect, and produced cognitive benefits, such as increased working memory performance.

Living landscapes help you heal faster.
Multiple studies have discovered that plants in hospital recovery rooms or views of aesthetically-pleasing gardens help patients heal up to one day faster than those who are in more sterile environments.

Click here to learn more about how to have a living landscape, even in dry conditions.