Green exercise
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Green exercise refers to physical exercise undertaken in relatively natural environments.[1] Physical exercise is well known to provide health benefits. There is also good evidence that viewing and being in natural environments has calming and positive mood effects. The combination of these two elements (exercise and nature) leads to the notion of green exercise.
People and animals tend to naturally participate in green exercise, however its potential role in physical and mental health (e.g., due to nature-deficit disorder) has attracted increasing attention during the 2000s,[2] particularly through the research work of Prof. Jules Pretty at the University of Essex.[3][4] and several funded programs (see examples). The concept has grown out of well established areas such as attention restoration theory within environmental psychology which has tended to focus on the psychological and physical effects of viewing nature (e.g., see the work of Kaplan and Ulrich) and well-recognised work about the psychological benefits of physical exercise.
[edit] Theory
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Green exercise can be usefully considered from a number of theoretical perspectives including:
- Exercise psychology
- biophilia and evolutionary psychology
- Environmental psychology theories, such as attention restoration theory
[edit] Research
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The effects of green exercise on the following outcomes have been studied[citation needed]:
The largest study of green exercise involved meta-analytic methodologies to analyse the results of 10 studies based on 1252 green exercise participants (Barton & Pretty, 2010). Results indicated that "the overall effect size for improved self-esteem was d = 0.46 (CI 0.34−0.59, p < 0.00001) and for mood d = 0.54 (CI 0.38−0.69, p < 0.00001). Dose responses for both intensity and duration showed large benefits from short engagements in green exercise, and then diminishing but still positive returns." [5]
[edit] Examples
Instances of green exercise are numerous and diverse. Some examples include:
- Natural England is funding eight demonstration green exercise projects through local regional partnerships. The main aim is to increase levels of physical activity and people's connections to their local green spaces.
- Green Exercise Partnership between NHS Health Scotland, FCS and Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH). In partnership with SNH and NHS Health Scotland, the Scottish Government is providing £3 million funding to the Paths for All Partnership between 2007 and 2010 to develop its Paths to Health Initiative, which currently supports over 20,000 people to take part in health walks each week. SNH and Government funding is also being provided to BTCV to extend their green gym project.[6]
- Green Gym programs are a type of green exercise. These generally involve organised groups which engage in volunteer environmental restoration work, but which are also specifically designed to provide physical exercise and physical conditioning in the context of experiencing natural environments. An example of such a green gym program are those conducted through the Australian Conservation Foundation which are based on similar programs conducted by the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers.[7]
- Barefoot running is an example of a type of physical exercise (running) which is conducted so as to include a greater degree of contact with the surrounding environment (by going barefoot).
[edit] See also
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Wikiversity has learning materials about Green exercise |
[edit] References
- ^ Mackay, G. J. S., & Neill, J. T. (2010). The effect of “green exercise” on state anxiety and the role of exercise duration, intensity, and greenness: A quasi-experimental study. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 11(3), 238-245. (pre-publication draft)
- ^ Higham, N. (23 May 2008), Putting a spring in your step, BBC, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7417516.stm
- ^ Pretty, Jules; Griffin, Murray; Sellens, Martin; Pretty, Chris (March 2003), Green Exercise: Complementary Roles of Nature, Exercise and Diet in Physical and Emotional Well-Being and Implications for Public Health Policy, University of Essex, http://www.outdoorfoundation.org/pdf/GreenExercise.pdf
- ^ Neill, J. T. (2009). Green exercise: The psychological effects of exercising in nature. Presentation to the Annual Outdoor Recreation Industry Council Conference, August 15-16, Sydney.
- ^ Barton, J. & Pretty, J. (2010). What is the best dose of nature and green exercise for improving mental health? A multi-study analysis. Environmental Science & Technology, DOI: 10.1021/es903183r.
- ^ Scottish Natural Heritage (2009). Developing the contribution of the natural heritage to a healthier Scotland
- ^ Green Gym (Australian Conservation Foundation]
[edit] External links
- Ecotherapy: The green agenda for mental health (Mind, 2007)
- Green exercise (greenexercise.org)
- Green exercise to get you moving, 16 July 2009 by Amy Taylor-Kabbaz
- Green exercise: Introduction (Walking for Health, Natural England)
- Green exercise and green care: Evidence, cohorts, lifestyles and health Outcomes (Barton, Hine and Pretty, 2009, University of Essex)
- Green exercise: The benefits of activities in green exercise (Encyclopædia Britannica, 2006)
- Green exercise research by Jules Pretty (University of Essex)
- Green exercise: The psychological effects of exercising in nature by James Neill (University of Canberra)
- Healthy parks, healthy people (2nd edition March 2008 School of Health and Social Development Faculty of Health, Medicine, Nursing and Behavioural Sciences, Deakin University Burwood, Melbourne)
- Green exercise (Google search)
- Green exercise (delicious bookmarks)
