park benches

Get outside and spend some time going for walks or relaxing on park benches. Researchers have documented several ways nature is good for your health

Can sitting outside on park benches make you healthier?

Can standing under a tree make you happier?

Can walking in the woods calm you down?

Are you looking to have more energy, less stress, better focus, and greater immunity paired with faster recovery times?

You may think it would take a miracle medicine to accomplish all of that in one setting.

But it turns out that there is a simple supplement that produces all of these benefits - spending time in nature.

Whether you live close to the ocean, mountains, or forests - or just a greenspace lined with park benches - you can tap into the power that nature has to restore and rejuvenate your health and energy.

Here are the facts on why

Two people relax on a park bench. Research shows that the average American visits a park 29 times a year

If the Trust for Public Land checked out parks in your town, would they reward the city with a bunch of park bench accolades for providing open spaces for local citizens?

Minneapolis certainly earned recognition. In fact, that city was given the highest ranking and a "Five Park Bench," award as the best park system in the US, according to a study conducted by the Trust for Public Land.

The Sixth Annual ParkScore survey was created by the trust to provide a benchmark for how cities rank for their parks compared to

Central Park in New York City - 843 acres of grass, trees and 9,000 wooden benches

Summer means warmer weather but also more wear and tear on outdoor facilities. If you want to see an excellent example of just how busy this season can be, check out New York's Central Park and how it handles millions of annual visitors, an endless number of plants and thousands of wooden benches.

Surrounded by 8.5 million residents in a place that also attracts a swarm of tourists every year, this lush patch of 843 acres in the middle of concrete and steel certainly sees its share of visitors.

In fact, today about 40 million people enter the park every year.

New York City is in the Northeast, with definitive seasons. That means there are days when the park is desolate and

Leigh Lake at Grand Teton National Park. Photos such as this are available at NPS.gov

April 15 is the start of National Park Week in 2017 and a reminder to appreciate just what a privilege it is to sit on a park bench and behold the vast wonders of our national parks. In honor of this event, for two weekends you can visit a national park for free!

In fact, there is a whole treasure chest of goodies about our national parks that are available to the public. So, find a park bench or get out your hiking shoes and check out all of these free guides, maps, photos, videos and apps.

Free Admission to National Parks for two weekends - for

"Road diet" cities place more emphasis on pedestrians and bicycles than cars. Photo source: Sixthreezero.co

Whether you recognize it or not, wide, open roads psychologically trick you into driving a little faster and that is why cities are deciding to go on a "road diet."

Many roads in America are designed to accommodate a significant number of cars moving quickly, but sometimes the road is wider than is really necessary.

Downtown main streets are especially effected by this. As areas of high pedestrian activity, they are usually not accommodating to foot traffic or bicyclists, with high-speed roads and wide lanes taking up all of the space, leaving narrow sidewalks as an afterthought.

If drivers naturally feel like they need to increase their speed because the