Agenda - Parks and Recreation Commission - 01/09/2020

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[What this means for Ramsey] Overall this survey tells us there is room to grow. From these studies, we have found there is a hole around Ramsey where many recreation opportunities are lacking. This is a great opportunity for the City to offer new and unique programs for all age groups. Additionally, we want to continue to improve on areas we are doing well in. We affirmed from the survey that the Anoka Ramsey Athletic Association is a valuable partner to offer residents a variety of physical sport activities. Section X will talk more about partnerships in recreation programming, and Section Y will outline goals and strategies to expand programming. PROMOTING PERSONAL HEALTH (MNDRN SCORP). "As of 2019, there have been over 400 studies that demonstrate the numerous health benefits that nature provides. Most of the research on health and nature has focused on physical health benefits. Many of the benefits discovered are helpful in preventing leading causes of chronic disease, including stress reduction; reduced blood pressure; faster healing; addiction recovery; and reduced cardiovascular, respiratory and long-term illness. Benefits of nature exposure for cognitive development is increasingly recognized in the fields of education and human development, among others. Studies illustrate nature's positive effects on attentional restoration, reduced mental fatigue, improved academic performance, improved cognitive function in children and improved productivity. Increased self-esteem, improved mood, reduced anger/frustration and reduced anxiety are some of the key examples of the improvements documented by research on nature interactions for mental health. Finally, a less well-known, but critically important benefit of time outdoors is the positive social effects at an individual or community public health scale. Several articles have found that nature facilitates social interaction, enables social empowerment, reduces crime rates and violence, and enables