I’ve always found that taking a walk in the woods, or going to a nature center, or even to the beach, makes me feel great.

It turns out that this is not all in my mind — there’s scientific research to back this up.

According to a new study funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), women who live surrounded by the highest levels of vegetation, or greenness, near their homes had a 12 percent lower death rate compared to those living with little or no greenery.

Researchers monitored 108,630 women who completed biannual questionnaires on their health and lifestyle from 2000 to 2008. During that time, 8,604 died.

Using satellite imagery, they tracked the extent of seasonal vegetation where the women lived.

The study controlled for socioeconomic status, age, race, body mass index, physical activity, smoking, education, and other health and behavioral factors.

The researchers found the biggest differences in death rates from kidney disease, respiratory disease, and cancer.

The association was less apparent for coronary artery disease, but I beg to differ on that point, as studies show that environmental factors such as air pollution can raise heart disease risk.

Last year, researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found a link between higher levels of a specific kind of air pollution that exists in major urban areas and an increase in cardiovascular-related hospitalizations, such as for heart attacks in people 65 and older.

So if you’re looking to live a healthy lifestyle, your surroundings do matter.