Uusi 3–30–300 -luontosuositus on esittelyssä Europarc Federationin blogissa. Europarc Federation edustaa satoja eurooppalaisia viranomaistahoja sekä tuhansia suojelualueita 40 maassa. Suomesta toiminnassa mukana on muun muassa Metsähallitus.
Blogissa aiheena onkin kansallispuistojen merkitys kansalaisten luontoaltistuksen sekä luontokokemusten lisäämisessä. Blogissa todetaan lisäksi, että nykyisiä kansallispuistoja tulee laajentaa, uusia luoda ja näiden saavutettavuutta parantaa, jotta luontohyvinvoinnin potentiaali voidaan valjastaa kaikkien käyttöön.
Every moment spent in natural environments offers us a variety of health and well-being benefits. These benefits are based on repeated and regular contact with nature, so seek out natural environments at least three times a week.
Aim to spend at least 30 minutes at a time in nature. The health benefits of nature begin to accrue after just a few minutes, but they increase and become more diverse as the time spent in nature increases.
Aim to spend a total of 300 minutes in nature each week. You can do yard work, exercise, relax in a hammock, ride a bike, walk on nature trails, observe the wonders of nature or play yard games. The most important thing is to spend time in nature – in your own way!
NATURE ACROSS THE LIFE COURSE
Increasing regular contact with nearby, biodiverse nature benefits people of all ages. Accessible green and blue environments support physical health, mental well‑being and immune function throughout the life course.
Nature‑based solutions also help societies adapt to challenges such as climate change, urban heat and population ageing. In addition, opportunities to actively participate in ecological restoration and biodiversity enhancement should be promoted, allowing people to contribute to the health of natural environments while strengthening their own connection to nature and fostering social cohesion within communities.
Nature connection develops and strengthens in early childhood. Young children benefit especially from frequent, varied and hands‑on interactions with nature.
Integrate nature into everyday life through families, caregivers and early childhood education
Green daycare yards by adding forest soil, diverse vegetation and natural materials
Ensure safe and easy access to nearby natural environments
Support nature contact in home environments by increasing biodiversity and bringing natural elements into yards, gardens and shared residential spaces
For school‑aged children, nature contact supports learning, physical activity, emotional regulation and independent action.
Make nature part of the daily school routine (e.g. outdoor classes and regular outdoor learning)
Ensure green schoolyards and nature‑rich break areas
Encourage active and safe school travel through green routes and supportive mobility environments
Support and enable families to spend more time in nature together and strengthen everyday nature contact
Promote opportunities for self‑directed exploration, play and learning in natural environments
Although most young people still spend time in nature, adolescence is often a period when both physical activity and nature contact decrease.
Provide easily accessible, appealing and biodiverse natural environments near schools and study settings
Encourage short but regular nature visits
Combine nature contact with social activities and active movement
Enable and support participation in nature‑based hobbies and activities that are meaningful and appealing to young people
Create inviting learning and leisure environments where contact with nature occurs naturally as part of everyday life
Encourage active mobility and reduce reliance on passive transport (e.g. scooters and car transport), especially in everyday travel
Strengthen safe, attractive and nature‑rich routes for daily movement
For working‑age adults, increased nature contact can significantly improve perceived well‑being and health.
Support active commuting (e.g. walking or cycling) through green and nature‑rich environments that offer everyday exposure to nature.
Promote nature‑based hobbies and recreation
Encourage workplace practices such as walking meetings, outdoor workdays and working in nature
Increase awareness of the health and well‑being benefits of natural environments
Enable participation in activities that enhance biodiversity and support ecological restoration in both home environments and the wider community
Encourage workplaces to increase opportunities for nature contact in both indoor and outdoor environments
As functional capacity changes with age, accessible, safe and well‑maintained nearby nature becomes increasingly important.
Ensure barrier‑free access to green spaces close to home
Maintain high‑quality, year‑round walking paths and resting places
Support social outdoor activities, group excursions and intergenerational nature experiences
Promote gardening and yard work as meaningful forms of nature contact
Increase biodiversity in nearby home environments and residential surroundings
Provide information on the health and well‑being benefits of nature, as well as on accessible nearby nature destinations
Improve public transport connections to natural areas (“nature stops”) to enable safe and sustainable access
3–30–300 Nature Recommendation poster
You can download the A3-sized poster (PDF) to your computer and print it, for example, in waiting rooms to remind you of the importance of spending time in nature and being active in promoting well-being and health.
The poster also makes it easier to discuss the topic with different customer groups.
Every moment spent in natural environments offers us various well-being and health benefits. The aim of the 3–30–300 Nature Recommendation is to inspire us to spend time and move in natural environments as often as possible, but at least three times a week. This enables the well-being benefits we get from natural environments, which are based on frequent and regular contact with nature (Tyrväinen, 2023).
Going out to nature several times a week also enables new positive habits to form and become part of everyday life, as well as enables the accumulation of the amount of active movement recommended in the Physical activity guidelines.
Humans derive wellbeing and health benefits from nature through different mechanisms. The time spent in diverse natural environments and the frequency and recurrence of exposure to nature are important from the perspective of increased wellbeing. This is why the 3-30-300 Nature Recommendation advises people to visit natural environments at least 3 times a week for at least 30 minutes at a time and sets the weekly target of 300 minutes in totalMost people’s contacts with nature in Finland take place in their local environments, or less than 300 metres from home. However, a visit to natural sites further away from home usually lengthens the duration of individual visits and also enables new experiences of nature activities and outdoor exercise.
Nature Recommendation in Finland
We Finns are known as a ‘people of nature’. However, our relationship with nature is very dispersed and different, for example, depending on where we live and age group. About four percent of us don’t go out in nature at all, and 700,000 Finns go outside less often than once a week (LVVI3). At the European level, things are even worse in terms of physical activity. Almost half of Europeans do not do any kind of exercise (Special Eurobarometer 525).
Due to urbanization, the use of cars and our changed lifestyles, our contact with diverse nature has decreased significantly. We suffer from Nature-deficit disorder, the effects of which can be seen, for example, in the prevalence of lifestyle diseases, such as heart and circulatory system diseases, type 2 diabetes and some cancers. Increasing the amount of time spent in nature has an ever-increasing importance not only in terms of public health, but also in terms of the national economy. (Tyrväinen et al., 2024)
The costs of immobility and sedentary lifestyles in Finland have been estimated at approximately 3.2–7.5 billion euros per year, and the amount is expected to increase as the population ages and morbidity increases. (Vasankari et al. 2018) The number of people suffering from mental health problems is also growing in Finland, and the costs of work absences and disability pensions alone are estimated to be over 2 billion euros per year. (Kestilä et al. 2025) If we were to multiply the above figures by the population of Europe, for example, we would already be talking about several hundred billion euros per year.
More and more research shows that spending time in nature and being physically active both boost our well-being and health. These benefits start quickly and become even greater the more time we spend outdoors and moving. But how much is ‘more’?
As stated in the 3–30–300 Nature Recommendation, 300 minutes a week would be the optimal goal for the time spent in nature. As the Physical Activity Guideline for adults recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity a week, it also states that for even more health benefits, one should aim for 300 minutes a week.
If we want a better future, one of the best things we can do is spend 300 minutes each week being active in nature. Picture a society with fewer preventable diseases, significantly lower healthcare costs, and people living longer, happier lives—all from adding some outdoor activities in their lives. In addition, when we spend more time outdoors, we improve our connection to nature. This connection is crucially important not only for our well-being but also for the well-being of the planet.
300 times 3
To help people be physically active in nature for 300 minutes a week, we need to address a few key issues in our communities. First, we should make it easier for people to be active by improving the safety and appeal of walking, cycling, and public transport, and reducing our reliance on cars. Second, we need to add larger green spaces close to homes. And here is where the original 3–30–300 rule by Cecil Konijnendijk comes in: everyone should live within 300 meters of a large public green space. Third, we need to make outdoor activities and active transportation the next ‘big thing’.
If we can meet these goals across the population, we will have a society where physical and mental health are constantly improving. And at the same time, we are creating habitats where we can all thrive.
If you can combine the 3+30+300 Rule and the 3–30–300 Nature Recommendation you are on the right track towards future cities and wellbeing.
Green and blue environments are the foundation of our health and well-being. For this reason, we Finns should increase the time we spend in them. One way to increase the time spent in nature is to highlight the many well-being and health benefits of nature, but also to introduce residents to the many opportunities for outdoor activities in their own local area. For this reason, the annual nature week, Trail Week, was launched in 2020.
Finland is a country of millions of nature trails. During the Trail Week these trails are on everyone’s mind and in active use. The Trail Week also supports the promotion of nature tourism by presenting the opportunities for moving in nature not only to residents but also to domestic and international tourists.
During the Trail Week, various events can be organized in municipalities, cities and towns. There can be opening celebrations of new trails, hiking and bicycling events, workshops and lots of other activities. But above all, during the Trail Week, people are encouraged to enjoy the wonderful trails of Finland!
The first Trail Week was held on the September 2020 in Central Finland. In 2025, the Trail Week was expanded to all of Finland!The slogan of the week is “All nature trails lead Finland closer to the future!”.
And while one trail adventure is a good starting point for a Trail Week, you can also aim to go out in nature at least three times during the week. This is also the recommendation for weekly outdoor activity in the 3–30–300 Nature Recommendation.
Meijän polku, “Our Path”, is a 30-year initiative promoting community health and well being. Advocating the well being of the Central Finnish population is focused on four themes: nature, physical activity, rest and community. Our Path strives for a more healthy and prosperous Central Finland by encouraging people to spend time, exercise and gain vitality in near-by-nature and forests. Our slogan is move and enjoy yourself in Central Finland. In recent years, Our Path’s activities have expanded to other parts of Finland and beyond our borders too.
According to the WHO data (2018) life expectancy of Finnish males and females is 78.8 and 84.2 respectively, which gives Finland a world ranking of 21. Although not a poor placement, several challenges still exist. Beside the persistence of traditional cardiovascular risk factors (i.e. sedentary lifestyle, obesity and smoking) related to a person’s quality of life, newer risks, such as involuntary loneliness and anxiety, are becoming more prominent. Relaxing and/or exercising regularly (daily or several times a week) in a nearby nature can have a profound effect on both the traditional risk factors and well being. Also, visiting the Central Finland’s national parks and silent nature reserves, is encouraged, serving as a source of most authentic nature experience. However, because of their more remote location they are not plausible for daily visits.
Our Path is based on voluntary involvement of the active members, including professionals from the fields of health care, physical education, educational establishments and national institute of parks&wildlife. Our Path is supported by organizations like Central Finland Health Care District, Central Finland Sport Federation, Jyväskylä University of Applied Science, University of Jyväskylä and LIKES Research Centre for Physical Activity.
Our Path aims on a slow, but long-lasting out-door life oriented behavioral change in the population. Time span is 30 years, beginning from 2017. Operational goals vary with different population segments (active/sedentary, young/old, healthy/people with chronic illnesses) and ongoing trends of society. From 2020 onwards the health related use of local nature locations and forests is promoted among local population under multiple concepts, such as Keski-Suomen terveysmetsä (Central Finland Health Forests, 2019); Luontotyöpäivä (Outdoor Office Day, 2020); Meijän metsät (Our Forests, 2024); 3–30–300 -luontosuositus (3–30–300 Nature Recommendation, Finnish version 2025, English 2026) and Luontovuosi 2026 (Nature Year 2026).
At the same time tools for both municipalities and individual citizens are developed to make physically active lifestyle and nature contacts more accessible for all. Also, for self-acting individuals and groups, different kinds of activity challenges like stair climbing, nature walks, biking and sauna are presented on our website. These challenges have been tailored for all seasons, for all weather conditions and they are free-of charge.
Some of our initiatives
Finland is celebrating the Nature Year 2026. The goal for this year is to increase the amount of time Finns spend in nature, as well as to increase the understanding of the health benefits of nature, and there are plenty! From cardiovascular health to mental health and social well-being. In addition, spending time in nature increases happiness. Just ask us, the Finns, the happiest people in the world.
Increasing our time in nature and exercise offers ways to promote well-being and health at an individual, regional and national level. In the 3–30–300 Nature Recommendation we elevate natural environments and the time spent in them as one of the pillars of good health, alongside the more traditional healthy diet, sufficient exercise and sufficient sleep. In fact, we go even further, as diverse nature creates the foundation for all human well-being.
✅ Visit nature at least 3 times a week. ✅ Spend at least 30 minutes in the nature at a time. ✅ Try to spend a total of 300 minutes in nature every week.
The first Trail Week was held on the 16th–22th of September 2020 in Central Finland. The idea of the Trail Week is to activate the usage of nature trails and to raise awareness about the positive health benefits of nature. Since then, the Trail Week has been held every year in the third week of September. In 2025, the Trail Week will expand to all of Finland!
The first Finnish Outdoor Office Day (Luontotyöpäivä) was celebrated in different parts of Finland on Friday, May 21, 2021. The purpose of Outdoor Office Day is to lower the threshold of going out into nature as part of everyday work. And also to bring nature into work if going outside during the work day is not possible. Since spring 2023, Finnish Outdoor Office Day has been celebrated as a week-long event – Outdoor Office Day Week (Luontotyöpäiväviikko). The Mossy Mind Syndrome (MMS) was created as a part of Finnish Outdoor Office Day. Finnish OOD is part of the international Outdoor Office Day movement.
The local nature with its many possibilities is the Central Finnish health forest. And we all have the right to enjoy our diverse natural environment both physically and psychologically. In the Meijän metsät (Our Forests) concept, we started to look at the nearby nature as a treasure chest of the area’s well-being, health and vitality. And how we can ensure more and more diverse opportunities for everyone to stay, move and enjoy the nature that surrounds us.
Near-by-nature is the cradle of Finnish exercise and wellbeing. Almost all Finns exercise in the nature around their home, some daily and some less often. Local nature also creates the framework for the most popular forms of exercise, such as walking, Nordic walking, skiing and cycling.
This website has information about local nature and ideas for bringing local nature into people’s everyday lives and, above all, inspiring people to exercise and spend time in local nature every day of the year.
Nature Stops (Luontopysäkit) is a initiative, launched in Jyväskylä, Finland to map and connect the city’s diverse forest trails and nature sites to the local public transportation system, Linkki. Accessing forest trails with a familiar bus system could be one way of lowering the threshold for getting out in urban nature and thereby distribute the health benefits of nature more evenly to the general population. Most of Jyväskylä natural sites are located along local bus routes or less than five hundred meters from these.
