Does exercising in a city park lift your mood?
Paper: Effects of urban green exercise on mental health: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Hu et al. · Frontiers in Public Health 2025 · doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1677223
What the trailer says
Does exercising in a city park lift your mood? Researchers in China pooled 15 trials in which adults were randomly assigned to exercise in city greenery or to a comparison group. They included 980 people. Overall, green exercise was linked to a moderate improvement in mental health. Gentle, low-intensity activity showed the biggest effect, though less certainly, and women seemed to benefit more. But many trials were small and short, so more research is needed.