2 Ideas

Access to green space: 

On average, people who live in or around dense vegetation have a 0.44 (on a scale of 0–9)

Lower depression score than those who live in a location without any access to green space. Less access to nature is linked to exacerbated attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms, more sadness and higher rates of clinical depression.

Increasing global urbanisation has resulted in a greater proportion of the world’s population becoming exposed to risk factors unique to urban areas Neighbourhood green space can affect mental health through creation of social ties and reduction of mental fatigue.

The constant stimuli of city life can be mentally exhausting, and life in the city can actually dull our thinking.³ In navigating the outdoor environment, one must continually monitor traffic and pedestrian flow while constantly focusing on where one is going and the means to get there. Constant response to even such low-level stimuli cannot be maintained indefinitely. A few minutes in a crowded city setting can cause the brain to suffer memory loss and reduced self-control. Even brief glimpses of natural elements improve brain performance by providing a cognitive break from the complex demands of urban life.⁴

However, previous work has also conceptualised physical activity as a mediator, suggesting that greener areas impact mental health by encouraging more physical activity.

Twins who lived in greener areas tended to have higher annual incomes, and were less likely to identify as Hispanic/Latino or to use transit. Greener areas were more likely to have lower Singh Index scores and lower population density.

This study supports the hypothesis that greater access to residential green space is associated with less depression, but provides less evidence of an association between green space and stress or anxiety. Each of the three phenotypic models showed significant inverse associations between green space and mental health.

Physical activity:

48.6 of people ages 15 – 75 in NZ are not physically active

At all ages, the benefits of being physically active outweigh potential harm

Several environmental factors which are linked to urbanization can discourage people from becoming more active, such as:

·        fear of violence and crime in outdoor areas

·        high-density traffic

·        low air quality, pollution

·        Lack of parks, sidewalks and sports/recreation facilities.

·        Busy lifestyle

·        Unsure how

·        Self-conscious

·        Limited access

·        Self esteem

·        Disability

·        Anxiety

·        Injury/illness

·        Costs involved

The ways in which physical activity are experienced are varied, complex, and closely related to the meaning the activity holds for the individual, it is remarkable how the participants describe their experiences in almost identical terms despite the fact that the they participated in rather different activities in the project’s sport clubs. Experiences revolved around relationships, everyday life, and action opportunities.

Meaningful relationships

One of the most recurrent themes in the descriptions of the young adults‟ experiences with sport and exercise activities concerns relationships and sense of community. Despite the fact that the four sport clubs and their activities are different in many ways, the positive relations, the openness, and inclusiveness that accompany participation in the activities strongly define the essence of the experience for all the participants.

provides an opportunity to interact without having to explain oneself

Bodily relations

“It gets more personal when you have to relate to all these people in the room”. To be physically active together also results in close physical contact with the other participants.

The intimacy in sport activities breaks down social barriers

Doing something to get better and being good to yourself

Many of the participants describe experiences of “the body getting rid of some feelings” (Melissa) and negative thoughts while training

Both describe how training gives them an opportunity to act in relation to their negative feelings and

problems, “To use your body instead of thinking all the time”, as Emma says. This feeling of actually doing something is very important.

exercise was used as a way to manage and get rid of negative feelings and in that way being able to do something to get better.

More energy – making everyday life easier

All the interviews have elaborate descriptions of how experiences from exercise and sports activities

have an effect that goes beyond the activity itself.

The experiences from the exercise and sports activities also ease participation in social settings, for

instance, by giving them something to talk about with friends, family, and each other.

Doing exercise in special sport clubs is experienced as being different from attending „mainstream‟

gyms or sport clubs because the emphasis is on improving levels of health and well-being, rather than

increased fitness as an end in itself,

Tew et al. (2012) emphasize how relationships are vital to recovery as well as how social inclusion

involves both the sense of belonging and the engagement in a meaningful social activity. The themes of both Meaningful relationships and Bodily relations illustrate how participating in sport and exercise activities is characterized by social relations as well as how activities are experienced as meaningful in their own right or as vehicles for other outcomes.