Optimizing mental health benefits of exercise: The influence of the exercise environment on acute stress levels and wellbeing

Klaperski, Sandra; Koch, Elena D.; Hewel, Daniel; Schempp, Anja; Müller, Julia

doi:10.1016/j.mhp.2019.200173

Cited by 29 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…However, there were no significant interaction effects between yoga and the environment indicating that effects of the yoga session were not influenced by the location in which it was practiced. This finding is similar to previous research that also did not find significant differences in acute psychological constructs between exercise sessions completed in outdoor and indoor locations [51]. Furthermore, the participants in our study completed a general questionnaire about the yoga session.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Hatha Yoga Improves Psychophysiological Responses of College Students in Both Indoor and Outdoor Environments

Dietrich¹,

Bidart²

2021

obm icm

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College students experience increased stress levels that could predispose them to develop mental and physical health conditions throughout adulthood. Yoga is an ancient mind-body practice including breath techniques, body exercises, and meditation that may be a useful strategy for enhancing college student health. Likewise, exposure to nature has been shown to have beneficial impacts on human health. This study investigates physiological and psychological responses of college students to yoga practiced in outdoor versus indoor environments. Fifty-eight college females between the ages of 18-28 were randomly assigned to complete a 40-minute Hatha yoga session either indoors (empty classroom) or outdoors (green park) at a mid-sized public university. Heart rate, respiration rate, perfusion index, and positive and negative affect states were recorded pre/post yoga. Heart rate, respiration rate, and negative affect significantly improved after the yoga sessions in both indoor and outdoor environments. Baseline self-reported negative affect was significantly lower in the outdoor group compared to the indoor group. There were no significant interaction effects of yoga and environment. This study suggests that one 40-minute-session of Hatha yoga may be a useful method to alleviate acute signs of physiological stress and decrease negative affect for college females in both indoor and outdoor environments. Further research about potential synergistic effects of yoga and exposure to nature is warranted to better understand whether the environment in which yoga is practiced could enhance the benefits of this mind-body modality on health.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Hatha Yoga Improves Psychophysiological Responses of College Students in Both Indoor and Outdoor Environments

Dietrich¹,

Bidart²

2021

obm icm

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“…Such places, with their commercial and social functions, enhance a sense of local attachment and belongingness (Debenedetti et al, 2014;Rosenbaum et al, 2007). The loss of an outdoor environment also entails the loss of its stress-reducing effects (Klaperski et al, 2019), and the associated lowered risk of psychosomatic symptoms (Janssen, 2016).…”

Section: The Change Of Leisure Activitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of out-of-home leisure before quarantine and domestic leisure during quarantine on subjective well-being

Zhuo

Zacharias

2020

Leisure Studies

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The great majority of Chinese underwent home quarantine because of SARS-CoV-2. Present research aims to find the effects of different types of leisure before or during outbreak on subjective well-being. Young people (n = 284) were investigated through an online questionnaire measuring self-rated well-being, out-of-home leisure before quarantine, domestic leisure during quarantine, information on the home environment and demographics. Subjective well-being comprises overall well-being, as well as mental, functional and social components. Four independent multivariate linear regressions reveal that individuals who frequently joined outside activities exhibit lower sense of overall and mental wellbeing, but higher functional and social well-being. In addition, active individuals before quarantine are more likely to explore new things during quarantine to heighten social well-being. Privatised outdoor space, like balcony, yard or terrace, is negatively correlated with well-being suggesting its weak ability to replace the public spaces. In conclusion, present research highlights the crucial role of leisure activities in well-being during COVID-19.

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“…Naturalness was assessed after PA using a visual analog scale by Mackay and Neill (2010). In their quasi-experimental study, they found a negative association between perceived naturalness and post-exercise anxiety, which supports the validity of the scale (see also Klaperski et al, 2019). In the visual analog scale, participants had to indicate the PA environment's degree of naturalness.…”

Section: Perceived Naturalnessmentioning

confidence: 75%

“…Physical activity (PA) has been shown to be a very effective recovery activity (see for a summary Sonnentag, 2018b), with about 60% of adults reporting that they exercise and do sports to reduce stress (Schmid et al, 2018). However, little is known about which settings or what types of activities are particularly effective (Klaperski et al, 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Natural Environment of Physical Activity and Perceived Stress: The Mediating Role of Specific Recovery Experiences

Schmid¹,

Imbach²,

Klaperski³

et al. 2021

Front. Sports Act. Living

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Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate a potential psychological mechanism of green exercise on perceived stress. More precisely, it was analyzed whether the relationship between the natural environment of physical activity and perceived stress was mediated by recovery experiences, namely by psychological detachment and relaxation. An ecological momentary assessment approach was used, meaning that specific recovery experiences were assessed directly in real-life situations and multiple times.Materials and methods: Thirty five women and 27 men took part in the ecological momentary assessment study over seven days (Mage = 32.30 years, SD = 10.23, 53% had a degree from a university or a university of applied science). If participants were involved in PA lasting at least 10 min on a given day, they had to answer questionnaires on the smartphone both prior to the activity and immediately afterwards. Perceived naturalness, psychological detachment and relaxation were assessed after physical activity events, whereas perceived stress was measured before and after each physical activity event. A two-level mediation analysis was conducted. The direct and indirect effect of perceived naturalness on perceived stress after engagement in physical activity was analyzed on the within- and between-person levels.Results and conclusion: Results showed that the relaxation as a recovery experience served as mediator between perceived naturalness and perceived stress after engagement in physical activity, but only on a within-person level. This means that the more natural a given individual appraised the physical activity environment, the more relaxed he or she felt during physical activity (β = 0.322, p < 0.0005). Furthermore the more relaxed the individual was, the less stress he or she perceived after exercising (β = −0.221, p < 0.0005). The psychological detachment as a recovery experience in contrast, did not serve as mediator, neither at the within- and the between-person level. Considering the indirect effect of perceived naturalness on perceived stress and the importance of relaxation experiences, current findings suggest that research should put greater emphasis on examining the specific psychological mechanisms of green exercise to make even better use of its beneficial effects in the future.

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Optimizing mental health benefits of exercise: The influence of the exercise environment on acute stress levels and wellbeing

Cited by 29 publications

References 30 publications

Hatha Yoga Improves Psychophysiological Responses of College Students in Both Indoor and Outdoor Environments

Hatha Yoga Improves Psychophysiological Responses of College Students in Both Indoor and Outdoor Environments

The impact of out-of-home leisure before quarantine and domestic leisure during quarantine on subjective well-being

The Natural Environment of Physical Activity and Perceived Stress: The Mediating Role of Specific Recovery Experiences

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