green spaces promote good health

We all know that it feels good to be in a natural environment, if only as an escape from urban tensions. But a new study suggests that living in a green area can actually lengthen your life, and even that the difference in life expectancy between rich and poor shrinks among those who live in an environment with parks and trees. The research findings seem to suggest that the benefits are derived from more than just the encouragement to exercise induced by open spaces, and extend to reducing blood pressure and helping recovery from surgery.