Benefits of Ideal Outdoor Spaces

Spring is in the air, which means more time enjoying the great outdoors with family and friends. And if you’re an Ideal Homes & Neighborhoods homeowner, you know our communities have a lot to offer.

Every Ideal neighborhood has different amenities for your whole family to enjoy, walking trails, parks, playgrounds, splash pads, clubhouse, and pools. Each one of these perfectly designed spaces is strategically placed throughout the community to best accommodate all our homeowners. Parks and playgrounds have themes that are carefully thought out to be bright, cheerful, and safe places that are all-inclusive. 

Being able to spend time soaking up a sunny day isn’t just fun, it’s also good for your health. According to the Urban Institute, there are many health benefits of parks and their economic impacts. Beyond the connection of parks and physical activity, usage of park services is associated with reductions in various negative health outcomes and illnesses. Scientific Report says spending even 120 minutes in green spaces has been associated with higher levels of reported good health and well-being. 

In each Ideal Homes neighborhood, our green spaces also include carefully selected grasses, trees, shrubs, and flowers, to bring nature back into the area. Research using data from the RESIDential Environments Project in Australia suggests that proximity and density of green space are associated with positive impacts on mental health.

International Journal of Environmental Health Research says physical activity is associated with improvements to measures of health such as mood and self-reported well-being. One study compared participants who exercised while viewing images of nature with those who exercised without such exposure and found that the benefits of activity are stronger when in or viewing natural surroundings.

Researchers suggest that the amount of time spent in green spaces improves mental health by reducing stress. Our Ideal Homes & Neighborhoods amenities offer a variety of ways to do physical activity and exercise, which is great for all age groups. Plus, we all know a little vitamin D (sunshine) is good for you, just make sure you don’t forget to apply sunscreen before your feet hit the ground running.

These Ideal outdoor spaces also allow for neighbors to gather and get to know each other, forming a tight-knit community. This is a significant reason why Ideal Homes adds these family-friendly spaces to every neighborhood. We’re not just building homes; we’re building communities where healthy lifelong relationships can form.

Click to find out more about our Ideal Homes neighborhoods and amenities.