Want to feel calm and relaxed? Well, take a hike!

A new report from Natural England reveals that the English adult population made approximately 2.85 billion visits to the outdoors between March 2102 and February 2013. The 4th annual monitoring report contains a wealth of information about visits made to the natural environment - where we travel from, where we visit, what we do when we're out there, and how experiencing the natural environment impacts on our behaviour, attitudes and general wellbeing.

Since the first annual report was published, the proportion of people taking at least one visit to the outdoors in the previous week for health and exercise has increased significantly from 34 per cent in 2009 to 44 per cent in 2013. Respondents to the survey also consistently agreed that being out in the natural environment made them feel 'calm and relaxed' or 'refreshed and revitalised'.

The survey shows that green spaces near home are an important part of modern life. Visits tend to be taken close to where people live, with two thirds of visitors travelling within two miles of their home. The survey shows that 92 per cent of people 'agree' that having green spaces close to where they live is important. The evidence from this report is being used by Public Health England to help local authorities identify priorities for greening their communities which will, in turn, improve people's health and wellbeing. More details at Natural England Visitor Numbers PDF

Walking in the countryside is gaining in popularity