Heads up: We all need to move to the woods. According to a new study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, American women who live in places surrounded by greenery will live longer than those who don't.
Researchers with the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Brigham and Women's Hospital found that women who lived in the greenest surroundings had a 12% lower overall mortality rate than those who did not. They did not clarify how much greenery is needed, but we're over here watering our plants.
According to the study, women living in environments surrounded by nature are experiencing the positive health impacts of cleaner air, while city dwellers can often feel increased stress due to noise and poor air quality. Also, areas with more green spaces often offer more access to physical activity, meaning exercise, which is a well-documented way to extend your life.
The data was pulled from the over 100,000 women enrolled in the Nurses' Health Study across the United States from 2000 to 2008, which compared the longevity and risk of mortality in the women combined with the vegetation around their homes (which was based on satellite images, amazingly).