The benefits of blue spaces

Getting physical exercise is good for your everyday wellbeing, but walking by water makes it better.

ACU researchers were part of a multi-country project to find out how wellbeing could be increased by improving the design of the urban environment around water. The research shows that people in the study reported better wellbeing and mood after walking 20 minutes in a blue space.

Give it a try:

• Go for a walk and head towards the closest water. It could be a fountain!
• Download an app and listen to the sound of burbling water.
• Listen to this Library resource, Peaceful Waters.

Read the evidence in ACU Research Bank

Vert, C, Gascon, M., Ranzani, O, Márquez, S, Triguero-Mas, M, Carrasco-Turigas, G, Arjona, L, Koch, S, Llopis, M, Donaire-Gonzalez, D, Elliott, LR and Nieuwenhuijsen, M (2020). Physical and mental health effects of repeated short walks in a blue space environment : A randomised crossover study. Environmental Research. 188, pp. 1–15.

White, MP, Elliott, LR, Grellier, J, Economou, T, Bell, S, Bratman, GN, Cirach, M, Gascon, M, Lima, ML, Lõhmus, M, Nieuwenhuijsen, M, Ojala, A, Roiko, A, Schultz, WP, van den Bosch, M and Fleming, LE (2021). Associations between green/blue spaces and mental health across 18 countries. Scientific Reports. 11(1), pp. 1–12.