A partnership with local health-care providers, the program offers patients five free passes to the park, with participants stating the experience improved physical and emotional wellness, and even better sleep, not to mention the social connections <\/p>\n
The Kivi Park Community Foundation is sharing early results from its new Nature Prescription Program, a wellness program that helps people improve their health by spending time outdoors.<\/p>\n
Launched in June of last year<\/a>, the two-year pilot was touted in a media release issued by the not-for-profit park<\/a> as the first of its kind in Northern Ontario. The program allows local health-care providers to \u201cprescribe\u201d time in nature as part of patient care.<\/p>\n \u201cParticipants receive free day passes to Kivi Park and are encouraged to spend time walking, relaxing, or being active outdoors,\u201d states a release from the park. \u201cAfterward, they complete a short survey to share how the experience affected them.\u201d<\/p>\n In early February, park staff reviewed the surveys and \u201cthe results are clear and encouraging,\u201d states the release. \u201cThese results highlight how simple activities \u2014 fresh air, natural light, and gentle movement \u2014 can work together to support both physical and mental health,\u201d states the release. \u201cTime spent outdoors can help clear the mind, reduce stress, increase energy, and support healthier daily routines.\u201d<\/p>\n Part of a growing movement across Canada that recognizes nature as an important part of healthy living, each Nature Prescription includes five free day passes, which can be used by individuals or families.<\/p>\n After completing the follow-up survey, participants receive five more free passes and a discount on an annual pass. Those facing financial barriers can also apply to Kivi Park\u2019s Accessibility Fund for a free annual membership.<\/p>\n \u201cAs a charitable organization, we believe everyone should have the opportunity to experience the physical and mental health benefits of the outdoors,\u201d said Kerry Lamarche, executive director of Kivi Park Community Foundation. \u201cThis program is about building healthy habits and helping people feel better in a simple, natural way.\u201d<\/p>\n The program is supported by Move Medicine, a Sudbury-based health practice focused on movement, mindfulness, and whole-person care.<\/p>\n \u201cAt Move Medicine, we see every day how nature supports both physical and mental health,\u201d said Shannon Kenrick-Rochon, founder of Move Medicine. \u201cThis program makes wellness more accessible and easier to achieve.\u201d<\/p>\n Kivi Park is also inviting health-care providers and community members to be part of this growing initiative, \u201cwhere a walk in the park can be a step toward better health,\u201d states the release. Any practitioners looking to join should email [email\u00a0protected]<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A partnership with local health-care providers, the program offers patients five free passes to the park, with participants…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":482069,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[49,48,84,392,194781],"class_list":["post-482068","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-healthcare","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-health","tag-healthcare","tag-kivi-parkkivi-park-nature-prescription-program"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/482068","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=482068"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/482068\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/482069"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=482068"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=482068"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=482068"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nA full 100 per cent of the participants reported they noticed physical improvement, 83 per cent “felt emotionally better,\u201d 67 per cent reported feeling calmer and 50 per cent noted they experienced better sleep. Of those polled, 70 per cent said they felt more \u201csocially connected\u201d after their time at the park.<\/p>\n