Is Green Exercise for All? A Descriptive Study of Green Exercise Habits and Promoting Factors in Adult Norwegians

Abstract

Background: Physical activity (PA) in natural environments, known as green exercise (GE), can provide health benefits above and beyond PA in other environments, but little is known about the extent to which GE is an accessible form of weekly PA across different social groups. This study aims to examine the "GE phenomenon" in Norway, and evaluate possible differences in GE habits and perceived factors that promote GE across sub-groups of this population. Methods: 2168 adults from all over Norway reported weekly GE and other forms of PA, specific forms of GE, and perceived factors that promote GE. Data were examined in the overall sample and in relation with the respondents' PA status and sociodemographic characteristics. Results: GE, especially "walking in the forest" and "activities by/on the sea", was the most popular form of weekly PA, even among those with low PA levels. GE was fairly represented across all social groups, and especially among the elderly, those who live with spouse/partner and those who live in the west regions of Norway, while no associations were found in relation to sex, centrality, education level or household income. "Time flexibility" and "PA-supportive places" were generally perceived as the most important factors that promote GE across all social groups. "Accessibility to nature" was generally perceived relatively little important, though a gradient was observed in relation to age, education level and household income. Conclusions: GE is an important source of weekly PA and health among adult Norwegians, especially in sub-groups of interest for public health such as the elderly, those with lower socio-economic status and those who live in non-urban areas. More should be done to understand and address the inequities relative to the perceived accessibility to nature.

Enable, Reconnect and Augment: A New ERA of Virtual Nature Research and Application

“…Exposure to and interaction with nature seems to be a key element to promote greater feelings of nature connectedness. Childhood experiences of nature, in particular, are known to be a strong predictor of positive feelings towards as well as more frequent interactions with nature as an adult [10,65]. Pupils attending schools with more opportunities for nature contact were found to be more empathetic and concerned for non-human life forms, as well as more aware of human-nature interdependence [74].…”

“…Outdoor recreational activities have also been found to improve adolescents' self-esteem, well-being and perceived body image [62][63][64]. Nature interactions during childhood can also lead to a greater engagement in nature-based physical activity in adulthood [10,65], and can thus promote lifelong physical activity and improved physical and mental health. Although IVN may not provide all of the beneficial elements of interaction with real nature, it may still provide some benefits, especially with respect to cognitive restoration and enhanced psychological states [66].…”

“…With the backdrop of land use change in the form of rapid urbanization as well as concerns regarding environmental sustainability, the concept of nature connectedness (i.e., an individual's' feeling of being emotionally connected to the natural world) has emerged as a key aspect of the human-nature relationship. Not only is nature connectedness an important component fostering sustainable behavior [8], but individuals with more positive attitudes towards nature were also found to spend more time in natural environments [10,[71][72][73]. This may explain, at least in part, why nature connectedness has been linked with a range of health outcomes.…”

“…For example, a recent meta-analysis showed that individuals who report higher levels of nature connectedness tend to experience higher levels of positive affect, vitality and life satisfaction compared to those less connected to nature [7]. People who report more positive feelings towards nature were also reported to be more likely to meet the minimum recommended levels of physical activity [10]. Exposure to and interaction with nature seems to be a key element to promote greater feelings of nature connectedness.…”

“…In the UK, less than 40% of people visit natural environments during a regular week, of which only a small fraction consists of "active" visits [9]. Even in rural Norway, only 60% of adults engage in active visits in natural environment during a regular week [10]. These numbers are expected to decline even further in the coming years, as today's children spend less time outside compared to the previous generation [11,12].…”