Forest Walking Affects Autonomic Nervous Activity: A Population-Based Study

Kobayashi, Hiromitsu; Song, Chorong; Ikei, Harumi; Park, Bum Jin; Lee, Juyoung; Kagawa, Takahide; Miyazaki, Y.

doi:10.3389/fpubh.2018.00278

Cited by 57 publications

(79 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…Mental health benefits have been shown for many different types of adventurous outdoor recreation ( Araújo et al, 2019 ; Buckley, 2018a ; Collins & Brymer, 2018 ; Frühauf et al, 2016 ; Hansson et al, 2019 ; Hetland, Kjelstrup, Mittner, & Vitterso, 2019 ; Holland, Powell, Thomsen, & Monz, 2018 ; Holmbom, Brymer, & Schweitzer, 2017 ; Morris & Scott, 2019 ; Niedermeier et al, 2017 ; Roberts, Jones, & Brooks, 2018 ; White et al, 2016 ). Benefits have also been demonstrated for contemplative outdoor activities, such as forest walks ( Chen, Yu, & Lee, 2018 ; Hansen, Jones, & Tocchini, 2017 ; Kobayashi et al, 2018 ; Lyu et al, 2018 ; Morita et al, 2007 ; Oh et al, 2017 ). There is a parallel field of geographical research on therapeutic landscapes ( Bell, Foley, Houghton, Maddrell, & Williams, 2018 ).…”

Section: Theoretical Framework and Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mental health rescue effects of women's outdoor tourism: A role in COVID-19 recovery

Buckley

Westaway²

2020

Annals of Tourism Research

121

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Mental and social health outcomes from a portfolio of women's outdoor tourism products, with ~100,000 clients, are analysed using a catalysed netnography of >1000 social media posts. Entirely novel outcomes include: psychological rescue; recognition of a previously missing life component, and flow-on effects to family members. Outcomes reported previously for extreme sports, but not previously for hiking in nature, include psychological transformation. Outcomes also identified previously include: happiness, gratitude, relaxation, clarity and insights, nature appreciation, challenge and capability, and companionship and community effects. Commercial outdoor tourism enterprises can contribute powerfully to the wellbeing of women and families. This will be especially valuable for mental health recovery, following deterioration during COVID-19 coronavirus lockdowns worldwide.

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Section: Theoretical Framework and Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mental health rescue effects of women's outdoor tourism: A role in COVID-19 recovery

Buckley

Westaway²

2020

Annals of Tourism Research

121

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“…In another of our previous studies (38), the effect of walking in a forest environment and the effect of viewing a forest landscape on HRV indices was investigated. In the study, a positive responder was defined as a participant who exhibited an increase in log-transformed high-frequency component (lnHF).…”

Section: Forest-walking Vs Forest-viewingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Combined Effect of Walking and Forest Environment on Salivary Cortisol Concentration

Kobayashi

Song

Ikei

et al. 2019

Front. Public Health

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We investigated the effects of walking in a forest environment on salivary cortisol concentrations. Seventy-four young male participants walked for 15 min in forested and urban environments, and saliva was collected before and after walking. Our previous study reported salivary cortisol concentrations after walking only. This study was aimed at clarifying the combined effects of walking and environment by comparing post-walking data with pre-walking data. Walking in a forest environment decreased mean cortisol concentration from 9.70 to 8.37 nmol/L, whereas walking in an urban environment barely changed mean cortisol concentration, from 10.28 to 10.01 nmol/L. Two-way repeated analysis of variance revealed a significant interaction effect between the environment and walking (p < 0.001) in addition to the main effects of each (p < 0.001 and p = 0.001, for walking and environment, respectively). For further analysis, the proportion of participants who exhibited decreased cortisol after forest-walking was compared with the previously reported proportion of participants who exhibited decreased cortisol after viewing forest landscapes. Although the proportion of positive responders was slightly higher after walking (69%) than it was after viewing (60%), this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.093). The present study revealed a significant combined effect of walking and the environment on cortisol concentrations.

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“…In addition to many studies targeting healthy young men, studies including large sample sizes [9,16] and population-based studies, have also been reported [17,18,19]. In a study involving 420 participants, Park et al [16] demonstrated that forest therapy mitigated stress and led to physiological relaxation, as evidenced by the index of heart rate variability (HRV), blood pressure, pulse rate, and salivary cortisol concentration.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Walking in a Forest on Young Women

Song

Ikei

Kagawa

et al. 2019

IJERPH

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115

131

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The effects of forest activities on health promotion have received increasing attention. The aim of this study was to evaluate the physiological and psychological effects of brief walks in forests on young women. The experiments were conducted in 6 forests (test) and 6 city areas (control). Overall, 12 participants in each area (60 participants in total, mean age: 21.0 ± 1.3 years) were instructed to walk in a forest and a city area for approximately 15 min; simultaneously, their heart rate variability, heart rate, blood pressure, and pulse rate were measured to quantify their physiological responses to walking. The modified semantic differential method, Profile of Mood States (POMS), and the State–Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) were used to determine their psychological responses. Walking in a forest was associated with significantly higher parasympathetic nervous activity and lower sympathetic nervous activity and heart rate. In addition, scores for the comfortable, relaxed, and natural parameters and vigor subscale of POMS were significantly higher, whereas scores for negative feelings, such as tension–anxiety, depression–dejection, anger–hostility, fatigue, and confusion, were significantly lower, as were the total mood disturbance of POMS and the anxiety dimension of the STAI. The subjective evaluations were generally in accordance with the physiological responses. A brief walk in a forest resulted in physiological and psychological relaxation effects in young women.

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Forest Walking Affects Autonomic Nervous Activity: A Population-Based Study

Cited by 57 publications

References 32 publications

Mental health rescue effects of women's outdoor tourism: A role in COVID-19 recovery

Mental health rescue effects of women's outdoor tourism: A role in COVID-19 recovery

Combined Effect of Walking and Forest Environment on Salivary Cortisol Concentration

Effects of Walking in a Forest on Young Women

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