How Green Spaces Can Help You Maintain a Healthy Weight

The Atherton in Dr. A. Santos Avenue, Pararañaque City

Maintaining a healthy weight isn't just about eating well or going to the gym. Sometimes, it's also about where you live. 

 

In urban areas like Metro Manila, staying active can be a challenge. Long work hours, traffic, and limited access to safe outdoor spaces often leave little room for regular exercise. As a result, physical inactivity has become a growing contributor to overweight and obesity. 

 

According to the 2016 World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe report on urban green spaces and health, access to well-designed green spaces encourages people to be more physically active. When parks, gardens, tree-lined walkways, and open spaces are easily accessible, people are more likely to walk, jog, cycle, or simply spend more time outdoors. These everyday activities can help people maintain a healthy weight while improving their overall health. 

 

Everyday Movement Matters 

 

Not everyone has time for intense workouts. Fortunately, staying active doesn't always require a gym membership. 

 

A brisk morning walk, an evening jog, taking the stairs, or enjoying a leisurely stroll through landscaped gardens all contribute to the recommended levels of daily physical activity. Over time, these simple habits help burn calories, strengthen the heart, improve endurance, and lower the risk of obesity. 

 

The WHO report highlights that people living near green spaces tend to be more physically active because their surroundings naturally encourage movement. When exercise feels enjoyable rather than like a chore, people are more likely to stick with it. 

 

Designed to Get People Moving 

Verawood Residences in Acacia Estates, Taguig City

This philosophy is reflected in DMCI Homes' approach to community planning. 

 

Across its developments, DMCI Homes has dedicated 47 hectares of landscaped areas, almost twice the size of the 27-hectare Quezon Memorial Circle national park in Quezon City. Instead of treating greenery as decoration, these spaces are designed to become part of residents' daily routines. 

 

Tree-lined walkways invite leisurely strolls. Jogging paths encourage regular exercise. Activity lawns provide space for outdoor workouts, while resort-style gardens offer refreshing places to walk, unwind, and spend time outside. Developments such as The Atherton, Calathea Place, and Acacia Estates showcase how landscape design can make staying active feel natural. 

 

Beyond supporting physical activity, these green spaces also promote better mental well-being by reducing stress and providing opportunities to reconnect with nature. 

 

An Award-Winning Commitment to Healthier Communities 

 

DMCI Homes' emphasis on green design has earned recognition over the years. 

 

As early as 2016, Arista Place in Parañaque City received recognition at the inaugural Urban Land Institute Philippines Healthy Places Awards for its ecological and community-friendly planning. The recognition highlighted the company's long-standing commitment to creating healthier living environments. 

 

Behind every landscaped community is DMCI Homes' award-winning Concepts and Landscape Management Team, which designs, develops, and enhances these outdoor spaces. Their work ensures that every garden, pathway, lawn, and open area contributes not only to the beauty of each development but also to residents' health and well-being. 

 

Greener Communities for the Future 

Calathea Place in Dr. A. Santos Avenue, Pararañaque City

This commitment continues in the company's newest developments. 

 

Moncello Crest, DMCI Homes Leisure Residences' eco-agri condotel development in Tuba, Benguet, was recognized by the Philippine Association of Landscape Architects (PALA) as one of the GantimPALA 2025 Merit Awardees, becoming the sole winner in the Developer Awards Category. The recognition celebrates projects that demonstrate excellence in landscape design, environmental sensitivity, and innovation. 

 

Other upcoming developments continue this vision. One Delta Terraces in Quezon City, The Valeron Tower in Pasig City, and The Calinea Tower in Caloocan City will feature vertical gardens that bring greenery closer to residents in high-rise communities. 

 

Meanwhile, Kalea Heights in Cebu City dedicates 3.6 hectares to landscaped gardens, parks, trails, and open spaces, giving residents generous room to walk, exercise, and enjoy the outdoors despite living in a bustling urban center. 

 

Healthy Living Starts Outside Your Door 

 

Staying active doesn't always require dramatic lifestyle changes. Sometimes, it begins with having a pleasant place to walk after work, a jogging path just outside your building, or green spaces that encourage you to spend more time outdoors. 

 

By designing communities where movement comes naturally, DMCI Homes demonstrates that landscape architecture can do more than beautify neighborhoods. It can help residents build healthier habits, maintain a healthy weight, and enjoy a better quality of life, one step at a time. 

DMCI Homes is the country’s first Quadruple A real estate developer, with projects in Mega Manila, Baguio City, Tuba in Benguet, San Juan in Batangas, Boracay, Cebu City, and Davao City. Each of its properties is built with world-standard craftsmanship borne from D.M. Consunji Inc.’s over 70 years of expertise in the construction and development industry.

To learn more about DMCI Homes’ pre-selling and ready for occupancy projects, units for lease, and special promos, call (632) 5324-8888. You can also visit leasing.dmcihomes.com to know more about opportunities in leasing and rent-to-own programs of DMCI Homes. News and other updates are also posted on the company’s official website and social media accounts on Facebook, X, Instagram, and YouTube.