Physical activity in nature helps prevent several diseases

Physical activity in natural environments prevent almost 13,000 cases of non-communicable diseases a year in England and save treatment costs of more than £100m, new research from the University of Exeter has found.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) the most common non-communicable diseases – including heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, and chronic lung disease – cause 74 percent of global mortality.

Non communicable diseases, also known as chronic diseases, are not passed from person to person and deaths attributed to these diseases are increasing in most countries.

Physical inactivity is associated with a range of non-communicable diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, type-2 diabetes, cancers, and mental health outcomes.

In their Global Status Report on Physical Activity 2022, the WHO estimated 500 million new cases will occur globally between 2020 and 2030 should physical activity remain at today’s levels, incurring more than £21b a year in treatment costs.

Natural environments support recreational physical activity, with this new study focusing particularly on places such as beaches and coast, countryside, and open spaces in towns and cities like parks.

Using data including a representative cross-sectional survey of the English population, researchers at the University of Exeter have estimated how many cases of six non-communicable diseases – major depressive disorder, type 2 diabetes, ischaemic heart disease, ischaemic stroke, colon cancer, and breast cancer – are prevented through nature-based recreational physical activity.

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