Park and recreation professionals make vital outdoor spaces available to the public

Whether sitting on a park bench or walking local trails, spending 20 to 30 minutes outside can help reduce stress levels. According to a newly released National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) poll, 96 percent of U.S. adults spend time outdoors daily, with more than half spending more than 30 minutes and one-third spending more than one hour outdoors daily.

Gen Xers are more likely than adults overall to spend more than an hour outdoors daily, at 39 percent and 33 percent, respectively. Gen Zers are more likely than adults overall to not spend time outside during the day, at 9 percent and 4 percent, respectively.

“For more than a year, people have been experiencing increased levels of stress, largely due to the coronavirus pandemic,” said Kevin Roth, NRPA vice president of research, evaluation and technology. “Park and recreation professionals and their agencies are primary providers of public outdoor spaces and programming that have served as a vital respite.”

A recent survey from NRPA finds that over the past year, 260 million people in the United States visited a local park or recreation facility at least once. In addition, the report finds that 87 percent of people agree that parks and recreation is an important service provided by their local government. To learn more, read NRPA’s2021 Engagement With Parks Report.

To view the interactive charts with the survey results, click here.

To view the full-size infographic, click here.

To learn more about NRPA, visit www.nrpa.org.

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About the National Recreation and Park Association
The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) is the leading not-for-profit organization dedicated to building strong, vibrant and resilient communities through the power of parks and recreation. With more than 60,000 members, NRPA advances this mission by investing in and championing the work of park and recreation professionals and advocates — the catalysts for positive change in service of equity, climate-readiness, and overall health and well-being. For more information, visit www.nrpa.org. For digital access to NRPA’s flagship publication, Parks & Recreation, visit www.parksandrecreation.org.