Physical and Emotional Benefits of Different Exercise Environments Designed for Treadmill Running

(1) Background: Green physical activity promotes physical health and mental wellbeing and interesting questions concern effects of this information on designing indoor exercise environments. This study examined the physical and emotional effects of different nature-based environments designed for in...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of environmental research and public health 2017-07, Vol.14 (7), p.752
Main Authors: Yeh, Hsiao-Pu, Stone, Joseph A, Churchill, Sarah M, Brymer, Eric, Davids, Keith
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Anxiety
Blood pressure
Design of experiments
Emotions
Entertainment
Environment Design
Environmental effects
Exercise
Experimental design
Female
Fitness equipment
Heart rate
Heart Rate - physiology
Humans
Hypotheses
Indoor environments
Information sources
Male
Mental Health
Music
Outdoor air quality
Physical activity
Physical fitness
Running
Running - physiology
Self esteem
Stress
Systematic review
Treadmills
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Summary:(1) Background: Green physical activity promotes physical health and mental wellbeing and interesting questions concern effects of this information on designing indoor exercise environments. This study examined the physical and emotional effects of different nature-based environments designed for indoor treadmill running; (2) Methods: In a counterbalanced experimental design, 30 participants performed three, twenty-minute treadmill runs at a self-selected pace while viewing either a static nature image, a dynamic nature image or self-selected entertainment. Distance ran, heart rate (HR) and five pre-and post-exercise emotional states were measured; (3) Results: Participants ran farther, and with higher HRs, with self-selected entertainment compared to the two nature-based environment designs. Participants attained lowered anger, dejection, anxiety and increased excitement post exercise in all of the designed environments. Happiness increased during the two nature-based environment designs compared with self-selected entertainment; (4) Conclusions: Self-selected entertainment encouraged greater physical performances whereas running in nature-based exercise environments elicited greater happiness immediately after running.
ISSN:1660-4601
1661-7827
1660-4601
DOI:10.3390/ijerph14070752