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Park Appreciation!

Every month we try to highlight new ways to promote a healthy and active lifestyle. July is no different, as this month is recognized as Park and Recreation Month. Across the country, parks are highlighted due to their innate nature of enriching health and wellness, but also their help with community building and conservation efforts.

While you may think parks are great, sometimes you don’t have the time to look for them. Luckily, we have discovered a few close by. In relation to our R-Health locations, here are a few neighboring parks that you can explore:

Moreover, Parks and Recreation Month has been celebrated in July since 1985 with hopes of encouraging people to explore these local parks and engage in outdoor activities. With help from City of Columbia and Plan4Health, here are a few more reasons:

  1. Strengthen community image and sense of place
    • Parks provide a space which allow citizens to gather for festivals to public and private events. Weddings, picnics, and family reunions are all events that gather communities together and uplifts the area.
  2. Supports economic development/local ecosystems
    • Many parks contain sports fields, trails, beaches and other spaces that can play host for tournaments, festivals, and other activities that draw tourism dollars into the respective areas
  3. Strengths safety and security
    • Many recreational areas provide lessons in biking, swimming, etc. It serves as a great way to guide children on how to have fun, safely
  4. Increases children’s chances of success in school
    • Children with greater access to parks are more likely to be active, and studies have shown active children perform better in school
  5. Have a more positive outlook
    • Spending time in areas like parks help reduce stress and improve mental health. Creativity strengths and aggression lessens the more time spent outdoors.
  6. Facilitate Community Problem Solving
    • Many Parks and Recreation departments can not only help solve community problems, but are eager to do so. Reaching out to your locate parks department can facilitate a better overall community experience.

These are simple a few of the top reasons to explore parks, but it’s understood that convenience plays a big role. Fortunately, all the parks listed above are within 10-15 minutes of your R-Health doctor. Therefore, whether you have some free time before or after an appointment, or just on a random summer day, stop by one of these parks and really embrace the nature in your community.