The studies of human and environment interactions usually consider the extremes of environment on individuals or how humans affect the environment. It is well known that physical activity improves both physiological and psychological well-being, but further evidence is required to ascertain how different environments influence and shape health. This review considers the declining levels of physical activity, particularly in the Western world, and how the environment may help motivate and facilitate physical activity. It also addresses the additional physiological and mental health benefits that appear to occur when exercise is performed in an outdoor environment. However, people’s connectedness to nature appears to be changing and this has important implications as to how humans are now interacting with nature. Barriers exist, and it is important that these are considered when discussing how to make exercise in the outdoors accessible and beneficial for all. The synergistic combination of exercise and exposure to nature and thus the ‘great outdoors’ could be used as a powerful tool to help fight the growing incidence of both physical inactivity and non-communicable disease.

Allotment gardening can play a key role in promoting mental well-being and could be used as a preventive health measure.

School playtime provides opportunities for children to engage in physical activity (PA). Playtime interventions can increase PA; however there is disparity between results. Nature can also promote PA, the purpose of this study is to determine which interventions are most effective at increasing moderate-vigorous PA (MVPA) and if this varies by school location. Fifty-two children from an urban and rural school participated in a playground sports (PS) and orienteering intervention during playtime. PA was assessed the day before and on the final day of the interventions using accelerometers. Intervention type (P<0.05) and school location (P<0.001) significantly influenced MVPA; with PS increasing MVPA more than orienteering and urban children responding more positively. There was a positive correlation for fitness and MVPA during PS (r=0.32; P<0.05), but not orienteering (P>0.05). The provision of PS influences PA the most, however a variety of interventions are required to engage less fit children in PA.

This study assessed whether exercising whilst viewing natural or built scenes affected self-esteem (SE) and mood in adolescents. Twenty-five adolescents participated in three exercise tests on consecutive days. A graded exercise test established the work rate equivalent to 50% heart rate reserve for use in subsequent constant load tests (CLTs). Participants undertook two 15-minute CLTs in random order viewing scenes of either natural or built environments.Participants completed Rosenberg's self-esteem scale and the adolescent profile of mood states questionnaire pre-and post-exercise. There was a significant main effect for SE (F(1)=6.10; P<0.05) and mood (F(6)=5.29; P<0.001) due to exercise, but no effect of viewing different environmental scenes (P>0.05). Short bouts of moderate physical activity can have a positive impact on SE and mood in adolescents. Future research should incorporate field studies to examine the psychological effects of contact with real environments.

School playtime provides daily opportunities for children to be active outdoors, but only makes small contributions to physical activity (PA) requirements. Natural environments facilitate unstructured PA and children report a preference for play in nature. Thus, play on the school field might encourage children to be more active during playtime. The primary aim of this study was to examine the impact of the school playing environment on children's PA. Descriptive data and fitness were assessed in 25 children aged 8–9 years from a single primary school. Over two consecutive weeks participants were allocated to either play on the school field or playground during playtime. The order of play in the two areas was randomised and counterbalanced. Moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA) was assessed during playtime on the last two days of each week using accelerometers. There was a significant interaction of environment and sex on MVPA during morning play (F(1,22) = 6.27; P<0.05; np 2 = 0.222), but not during lunch (P>0.05; np 2 = 0.060) or all of playtime combined (P>0.05; np 2 = 0.140). During morning play boys were significantly more active than girls on the playground (t(23) = 1.32; P<0.01; n2 = 0.291), but not on the field (P>0.05; n2 = 0.071). For lunch (F(1,22) = 24,11; P<0.001; np 2 = 0.523) and all of playtime combined (F(1,22) = 33.67; P<0.001; np 2 = 0.616) there was a significant effect of environment. There was also a significant main effect of sex during lunch (F(1,22) = 11.56; P<0.01; np 2 = 0.344) and all of playtime combined (F(1,22) = 12.37; P<0.01; np 2 = 0.371). MVPA was higher on the field and boys were more active than girls. Play on the field leads to increases in MVPA, particularly in girls. The promising trend for the effect of the natural environment on MVPA indicates that interventions aimed at increasing MVPA should use the natural environment and that schools should encourage greater use of their natural areas to increase PA.