Why does the outdoor environment matter?
Getting outdoors has the potential to benefit older people in a number of ways. Inclusive neighbourhoods make it easy to undertake necessary tasks, such as going to the shops or the post office, but they also make it possible simply to enjoy getting out and about and meeting people. In particular, being able to access nearby green spaces has been shown to benefit mental and physical health in late life. Yet, until now, there has been little evidence on which particular attributes of such places are relevant to quality of life for older people.
Our surveys to date of over 770 people aged 65+ across Britain, using innovative research concepts and methods, show the importance of the outdoor environment in people’s lives. Older people like to go out into their local neighbourhood very frequently, if they can, regardless of season, and walking is very much the predominant form of transport. The three major reasons given for going out are: socialising, getting physical exercise and fresh air and contact with nature.
