Jump for joy in a park today. It's national Park and Recreation Month 2016

Most people don't think about going to a park for medicinal purposes. But for Park and Recreation Month 2016, perhaps the public should pay attention to a recent study on how parks can actually have a positive effect on a person's mental and physical health.

The study was conducted by The University of Queensland in Australia along with the ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions. Lead researcher Dr. Danielle Shanahan surveyed more than 1,500 residents of Brisbane, Australia. The city was a perfect location for the research because

Park bench in Olmsted-designed Central Par

By Alysa Kleinman

Next time you visit your local park and relax on any park benches, you can thank Frederick Olmsted.

It's a name you might not immediately recognize from history class, but he's considered the father of American landscape and park design. His contributions during his lifetime spanned from Central Park to Niagara Falls, to parks in Midwestern cities like Chicago, Milwaukee and Detroit, to the U.S. Capitol, and all the way out to Stanford University in Palo Alto. His contributions beyond his lifetime are un-measurable.

Setting the bar for excellence in park design very high, Olmsted's designs for Central Park continue to influence landscape architecture to this day. But to fully understand

Wed. March 30 is "Take a Walk in a Park Day" and a time to appreciate the value of parks

If you are looking for something to do on Wed., March 30, here's a worthwhile (and free) activity to fill your calendar. That day is national "Take A Walk In A Park Day."

This official designation is meant as a reminder for Americans to set aside time Wednesday or any day for a walk in a park and get yourself a shot of "Vitamin G" (for green).

It's not an endeavor that will cost you any money. You won't need special equipment to participate. You can do it alone or with a friend.

Okay, people might say. I get it. Taking a walk in a park is good for you. Inhale a bit of fresh air, absorb a little sunshine, take a few minutes to relax. And then get out of there. Sure, we're kind of busy but we will keep that take a walk in a park day in mind.

Actually, there's a much bigger picture behind take a walk in a park day.

According to study titled

Kissing on a park bench has created a crazy tradition at some colleges

An author once wrote that kissing on a park bench "is one of the most fun things to do in a park."

Apparently, there's something to what he says because there are a number of designated "kissing benches" around the world that are famous gathering spots for couples where the smooching often progresses to a marriage proposal.

For some reason, this whole notion of kissing on a park bench is big on college campuses.

At Syracuse University, there's a stone bench donated by the Class of 1912 that somehow developed a reputation as a place where a female student should visit if she wanted to graduate and eventually get married.

July is National Park and Recreation month and time to get outdoors

Next month, "Out is In" as July is the 30th Anniversary of Park and Recreation Month. But how often are we "out?" You'd be surprised. The National Park Service conducted a study that has some very interesting findings about how we spend our time outdoors.

The bottom line: as humans, we need to spend more time on a park bench and less time on the couch because with the American lifestyle today - the electronic environment has replaced the natural one.

The National Recreation and Park Association study involved more than 1,000 people from all corners of the country and from different age groups and demographics.

Here are some of their findings:

Time outdoors - daily only about 31% of us spend more than 60 minutes outdoors. Twenty-two percent spend 31-60 minutes outside and 28% spend 11 to 30 minutes. When you take into account the time we use for routine