Impact of Coastal Walking Outdoors and Virtual Reality Indoor Walking on Heart Rate, Enjoyment Levels and Mindfulness Experiences in Healthy Adults

Abstract

Outdoor exercise is beneficial for psychophysical well-being. Limited studies have compared outdoor and virtual reality (VR) indoor physical activities, especially in coastal settings. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the impact of outdoor coastal walking and indoor walking in a VR simulation with a similar environment on physiological and psychological variables in healthy adults. A total of 26 subjects (14 M and 12 F, age 25.2 ± 2.5 years) voluntarily participated in this crossover randomized controlled and counterbalanced study and were allocated under three conditions: VR indoor walking (INVR), outdoor walking (OUT) and standard indoor walking (IN). IN and INVR conditions were performed on a treadmill (speed 4.5 km/h) and the OUT was performed on a seaside pedestrian road. The same outdoor environment was displayed in the visor during the INVR. Heart rate (HRmean/max), physical activity enjoyment (PACES-It) and state of mindfulness for physical activity (SMS-PA) were assessed at the end of each condition. The OUT condition showed significantly greater PACES-It scores and HRmean than IN and INVR (p < 0.001) and greater SMS-PA scores and HRmax than IN (p < 0.01 and p < 0.05, respectively). No significant differences were found between OUT and INVR regarding HRmax and SMS-PA scores (p > 0.05). Findings suggest that physical activity in an immersive technology may lead to physiological loads comparable to the outdoor environment. OUT is more enjoyable than IN and INVR but exhibits a mindfulness response comparable to INVR. Therefore, INVR could be an alternative to OUT for those who cannot engage in outdoor activities for various reasons.

Ten-Minute Physical Activity Breaks Improve Attention and Executive Functions in Healthcare Workers

“…Main activity (Exergame): through the immersive virtual reality of this system (Homing ® , Tecnobody, Bergamo, Italy), it was possible to replicate movements in virtual environments and provide visual and auditory feedback necessary to correct performance. This 6 min phase involved using one of the interactive activities available that simulated a low-/moderate-intensity walk at a predetermined speed of 4.5 km/h [ 67 , 68 ]. Cooldown: consisted of relaxation exercises and static stretching (2 min duration).…”

“…Following 4 h of work, each participant performed the three weekly assigned conditions for ten minutes in a random and counterbalanced order: Each Outdoor Physical Active Break (OPAB) session lasted 10 min, divided into 3 phases: Warm-up: aimed to increase heart rate, improve muscular blood flow, and prepare major joints for the subsequent work phase (2 min duration). Main activity (Outdoor Walk): consisted of a low-/moderate-intensity walk in the outdoor work environment (6 min duration, predetermined speed of 4.5 km/h) [67,68]. Cooldown: consisted of relaxation exercises and static stretching (2 min duration).…”

Effectiveness of a Sustainable Training Program Combining Supervised Outdoor Exercise with Telecoaching on Physical Performance in Elderly People

“…In detail, outdoor exercise (also named green exercise) concerns the practice of physical activity or exercise in natural environments; it is characterized by easy accessibility and mainly uses walking as a type of exercise [18]. The benefits of nature exposure on psychophysiological health are documented in the literature, and this exercise setting can also counteract conditions caused by urban living such as air pollution, urban noise, and crowding [27,28]. For example, a recent systematic review has shown that Nordic Walking can represent a safe and accessible outdoor exercise for the elderly population, improving cardiovascular function, balance ability, and quality of life.…”