It’s a medical fact: Spending time outdoors, especially in green spaces, is good for you.

A wealth of research indicates that escaping to a neighborhood park, hiking through the woods, or spending a weekend by the lake can lower a person’s stress levels, decrease blood pressure and reduce the risk of asthma, allergies, diabetes and cardiovascular disease, while boosting mental health and increasing life expectancy. Doctors around the world have begun prescribing time in nature as a way of improving their patients’ health.

One question has remained: How long, or how frequently, should you experience the great outdoors in order to reap its great benefits? Is there a recommended dose? Just how much nature is enough?

According to a paper published in the journal Scientific Reports, the answer is about 120 minutes each week.

The study examined data from nearly 20,000 people who recorded their activities for a survey from 2014 to 2016 in England. It found that people who spent two hours a week or more outdoors reported being in better health and having a greater sense of well-being than people who didn’t get out at all.

Spending just 60 or 90 minutes in nature did not have as significant an effect, and five hours a week in nature offered no additional health benefits.

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Stress & Depression

Several studies related to this topic have shown that being around trees may help alleviate stress. Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign found that stress levels were lower for participants who viewed a scene of nature.

Mind & Focus

In addition to reducing stress, walking in the forest could also help improve your focus. Imagine walking among the trees with nothing to think about but the elements of nature around you. Walking in the woods could help you think less of everyday things that drain you mentally. As Dr. Berman puts it, the forest “has interesting stimulation to look at, which captures your attention automatically”.

Immune System Boost

Plants emit a chemical substance called Phytocides. This substance is designed to help plants protect themselves from diseases and insects, but studies suggest that Phytocides could also be of benefit to human beings. When the chemical is breathed in, our bodies respond by increasing the production of white blood cells known as natural killer cells. The increasing population of these white blood cells is also thought to help reduce the risks of cancer.

Mitigate ADHD symptoms

For young children affected by ADHD, walking in the woods could help mitigate the major symptoms associated with the condition. One study found that children with access to green spaces are more likely to be able to replenish their “directed attention”.

So what are you waiting for? Start planning a trip to your local forest before it gets too cold. Be sure to take safety precautions if you plan on visiting a place of nature that’s situated in a remote location.

For more information, visit Organic Lesson, an online resource for gardening and environmental sustainability.