Additional Health Benefits Observed following a Nature Walk Compared to a Green Urban Walk in Healthy Females

Abstract

Chronic stress and obesity are major public health concerns and represent significant risk factors for a plethora of non-communicable diseases. Physical exercise represents a valuable health intervention in both cases, providing benefits for mental and physical health, as well as appetite regulation. While the emerging field of ‘green exercise’ suggests that the presence of nature may amplify the benefits of exercise, the quality of evidence has been questioned. To address this, we recruited 22 healthy females to complete a crossover randomised trial comprising a 75 min walk in both a forest and urban area, separated by 2–7 days. Markers of mood (Profile of Mood States), stress (sympathetic-adreno-medullar [resting heart rate, blood pressure] and hypothalamic–pituitary axis activation [salivary cortisol]) and eating behaviour (energy intake and salivary ghrelin) were measured before and after each walk. While both walking interventions improved mood and reduced physiological stress, the nature intervention (but not the urban intervention) also led to further improvements in total mood disturbance, depression, confusion and esteem-related affect (F(1,21) ≥ 4.98, p ≤ 0.037). Salivary ghrelin (F(20) = 0.229, p = 0.637) and energy intake (t(20) = −0.54, p = 0.60) did not respond differently in the two environments. Overall, while walking improved mood and physiological stress in both environments, walking in a forested environment provided additional benefits for mood not seen following the urban walk.