benefits of outdoor exercise essay

Why Is It Important to Spend Time Outdoors: Essay

Why is it important to spend time outdoors: essay introduction, health effects of spending time outdoor: essay body, exercise & outdoor activities: essay body, mood & concentration benefits of outdoor activities: essay body, essay about outdoor activities: conclusion, works cited.

Do you like spending time in nature with family and friends? Then you will definitely enjoy writing an essay about outdoor activities! But why is it important to spend time outdoors? Essay example on this page has the answer: check it out!

Spending time outside the serenity one is used to have positive effects on the physical and the mental health. Research shows that spending leisure time in those activities not confined to your area improves both the physical and mental well-being.

Outdoor activities includes walking, fishing, running, playing, mountain hiking, biking, horseback riding, boating and fishing, kayaking, picnicking and swimming. It is also healthy to spend time in nature settings for example watching the rivers flowing, adventuring the forests and game parks (Sisson 1).

Research proves that engaging in outdoor activities is significant to the growth and development of the body and the mind. However, this can be achieved through other means like indoors, but with a lot of trouble and expenses (Komaroff 1)

Many people like serenity of spending leisure free time in nature so that they can reduce or eliminate the stress and fatigue of engaging in day-to-day activities. The natural scenery and fresh air outside have the positive effects for both adults and the kids. The overall quality of children’s life improves when they are actively engaged in outdoor activities.

Engaging in outdoor activities means that a person will get enough sunlight. Sunshine acts as a source of vitamin D. When the sunlight hits the skin, the process starts from the involvement of the liver and kidneys; this eventually results in the development of the biologically active form of the vitamin. Many other vitamins do not have powers to fight back the diseases as compared to the vitamin D that has been proved more powerful.

Research proves that vitamin D protects the body against serious diseases like cancer, heart failures, stroke and the diseases of the mind like depression more than other vitamins do. A good source of vitamin D is the exposure of the arms and legs to sunlight for ten to fifteen minutes. Age and the skin color affect the rate at which the skin receives Vitamin D from sunlight.

Older people above 65 years of age generate vitamin D four times the people in their twenties while the dark skinned people produce about half the levels of vitamin D in their blood compared to the white skinned people. Ultra Violet light is the one that generates vitamin D when in contact with the body. However, the UVB light might be blocked by the sunscreens (Komaroff 1).

Research shows that engaging in outdoor activities enables human beings especially children to get more exercise. Researchers from Britain argue that a child who engages in outdoor activities is double active than those engaging in indoor activities. This research was undertaken using machines that track the movement of 1,000 children throughout the day.

It is advisable that one engages in those activities that keep the body in motion for a good body exercise for example walking, hiking, biking, gardening, and cleaning up the yard among other vigorous activities. A good exercise is good for the growth and development of a child (Komaroff 2).

Research shows that human beings become happy if they exercise in outdoor activities. Natural light tends to boost people’s mood and the only place one can access natural light is by moving out of the enclosures. Physical activities relax and cheer up people. Spending time outdoors makes an individual more proactive, cheerful and initiates a happy mood.

Researchers call the practice of exercising the body in the presence of nature as the “green exercise”. Such exercises are significant to the growth and development of the mind. Researchers from England argue that engaging in a green exercise for at least five minutes improves self-esteem, enjoyment and mood (Komaroff 2). Outdoor activities have the mental benefits such as the overall stress reduction.

Thinking capacity also tends to improve through improvement of attention that enhances connectivity in the brain and allows people to have good focus. Workouts also give one an opportunity to be joyous (Sisson 2). Spending time outdoor improves concentration. Children with emotional and mental disorders tend to experience the feeling of depression, lack of concentration and are not hyperactive.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in children causes lack of concentration when they are subjected to too much work indoors. Research shows that such children will have better focus and improved concentration if subjected to the outdoor activities. Studies show that children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) perform better in examinations after a scenery walk through a park than after an indoor walk in the neighborhood.

Other studies show that outdoor exercises have positive effects on children with ADHD. Adults who have a shorter span of concentration also experience this condition and engaging in outdoor activities may solve this (Komaroff 3). Spending time in an open natural setting drastically decreases the symptoms of ADHD, mental and behavioral disorders in children.

Workouts in a natural environment offer an emotional and behavioral release for the people with depression while the challenges faced during the adventure in outdoor activities help in regaining trust, self-confidence and improved self-esteem (Sisson 2).

Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh showed that patients with spinal surgery might heal faster when exposed to the natural light. When they are under medication, they tend to experience pain and stress. Another study reported that when a patient views outside through the window it has a positive impact on the healing process. This is due to the fresh air coming in from the window (Komaroff 3).

Other studies have also shown that, spending leisure time in nature decreases prevalence to diseases such as blood pressure, heart failure, and sympathetic nerve activity. The anti-cancer protein and natural killer cells increase over time to prevent the infection and the growth of the cancer cells.

Body exercises done outdoors in green and blue natural, water like swimming enhance the growth of such body protective cells. Studies have also proved that engaging in outdoor activities increases body energy, more positive hyperactivity, less depression, anger reduction, less confusion, and reduced stress as compared to the indoor workouts (Sisson 1).

Spending time outdoor means going outside the enclosed setting to a natural space where one gets enough time to adventure what is new in the natural setting. Researches proof that engaging in outdoor activities is beneficial for the growth and development of the physical and mental wellbeing of an individual. In children, spending time outdoor prevents the emotional and behavioral disorders.

A lot of research has been done to counter the claims that indoor activities play the same role as those by the outdoor activities in the physical and mental health of an individual such as the cost and the trouble associated with indoors. For a healthy living, both the children and the adults must be engaged in the outdoor activities in the natural setting such as rivers, mountains and forests.

Komaroff, Anthony. A Prescription for Better Health: Go alfresco. Boston : Harvard Health Publications, 2012. Print.

Sisson, Mark. The Rich and Measurable Benefits of Spending More Time in Nature . Oxnard: Mark’s Daily Apple, 2012. Print.

• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2023, October 30). Why Is It Important to Spend Time Outdoors: Essay. https://ivypanda.com/essays/benefits-of-spending-time-outdoor/

"Why Is It Important to Spend Time Outdoors: Essay." IvyPanda , 30 Oct. 2023, ivypanda.com/essays/benefits-of-spending-time-outdoor/.

IvyPanda . (2023) 'Why Is It Important to Spend Time Outdoors: Essay'. 30 October.

IvyPanda . 2023. "Why Is It Important to Spend Time Outdoors: Essay." October 30, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/benefits-of-spending-time-outdoor/.

1. IvyPanda . "Why Is It Important to Spend Time Outdoors: Essay." October 30, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/benefits-of-spending-time-outdoor/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Why Is It Important to Spend Time Outdoors: Essay." October 30, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/benefits-of-spending-time-outdoor/.

• Indoor Tanning as a Cause of Melanoma
• Indoor Air Quality in Schools
• Environmental Factors and Health Promotion: Indoor and Outdoor Air Pollution
• Indoor and Outdoor Activities for Toddlers Based on the Light and Shadow Effect
• Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Control
• Indoor Air Quality in Sustainable, Energy Efficient Buildings
• Green Buildings and Indoor Air Quality
• Importance of Outdoor Free Plays
• Indoor Air Quality
• National Outdoor Leadership School Experience
• Causes of Noise-induced Hearing Loss
• The High Infant and Perinatal Mortality Rates in Chicago
• Differences in Diabetic Related Cases in African-Americans and Whites
• Radiation Dose Reduction Strategies in Cardiac CT Angiography
• Analysis of Qualitative Nursing Research Study

Outdoor Exercise Can Boost the Body, Mind, and Mood

Here are some of the benefits of outdoor workouts, and tips for getting started.

There is no debating the health benefits of physical fitness . Getting regular exercise helps prevent heart disease and other chronic illness, improves mood, reduces stress, improves sleep, and more. In order for adults to reap those benefits, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week .

That time commitment may seem like a tall order in your busy life. But the good news is that you don't have to book sessions in a gym to get in shape. Outdoor exercises are just as effective as indoor ones, can be more fun, and have some other appealing advantages.

Working Out Outside Comes With Perks for the Body and Mind

Outdoor fitness can be a structured exercise program that takes advantage of natural terrain to get you in shape, or it can be as simple as a brisk walk around the block. Outdoor fitness comes in many forms: Light gardening or other yard work, for example, is considered moderate physical activity, and a 154-pound man can burn approximately 330 calories in an hour doing it, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) .

Whichever way you choose to exercise outside, there are numerous benefits:

• A harder workout  When you’re active outdoors — whether you’re running on the beach or hiking up a mountain — your body is encountering a constantly changing environment. To keep up the activity at a consistent pace, you need to adapt to all those minute changes in your surroundings (such as slight inclines, bumps, or obstacles you may need to dodge), which means your body works harder than if you were running on a treadmill or using a stair machine, according to the American Council on Exercise .
• No membership fees  The outdoors belongs to all of us. "You don't need any special equipment — the outdoors is available wherever you are, just outside your door,” says Tina Vindum, a faculty member of the American Council on Exercise and the author of  Tina Vindum's Outdoor Fitness: Step Out of the Gym Into the Best Shape of Your Life .
• Cleaner air  According to the Environmental Protection Agency , indoor air can be more polluted than outdoor air even in large cities and metropolitan areas.
• A free daily dose of D  Outdoor exercise is a way to get your vitamin D through sunlight . This is especially important if you are overweight, as research suggests that people who are overweight are more likely to be deficient in vitamin D .
• Exercise for your mind  "When you exercise outdoors, your mind is aware of the changing terrain. Whether you use the hills, the sand on a beach, or a winding path, your mind has to focus differently than it would on a flat gym floor," notes Vindum. And research suggests the effect of exercise on the mind tends to favor a positive direction. Several studies, including one published in Environmental Science and Technology in 2011 , suggest exercise outdoors benefited mental well-being more than the same type of exercise inside.

Here’s How to Get Started if You Want to Take Your Exercise Routine Outside

If you have any health issues, talk to your doctor before starting an outdoor fitness program, and ask any questions you have about upping the intensity of your fitness routine or jumping back into fitness if you’ve been inactive for a while.

And then ease into it, Vindum says. "I tell people to have a goal in mind, start slowly, and work up to their potential. Outdoor exercise can be adapted to anyone's level of fitness." Here are some tips to get you going.

• Exercise early.  "People can always find more excuses to avoid exercising outdoors at the end of the day," says Vindum. In the morning your energy is higher, the air is generally cleaner, the temperature tends to be lower, and you’ll get to feel the post-workout benefits (less stress and a better mood) all day long.
• Avoid temperature extremes.  Although your body can adapt to colder or warmer weather, you should avoid exercising outside in extreme heat or cold. And in warmer temps, watch for signs of overheating, including headache, dizziness, nausea, faintness, cramping, or palpitations, according to information from Harvard Medical School .
• Don't get burned.  Although some sun is good for you, too much sun is not. "Always protect yourself with a good sunscreen, and wear sunglasses and a hat with a brim," advises Vindum.
• Drink enough water.  "If you drink about 8 to 10 ounces of water 30 minutes before exercising outdoors, it should hydrate you sufficiently for a 30-minute workout. You don't need water with electrolytes in most cases," says Vindum. Remember that you can lose water through sweating, though — even in cooler weather. And you may start to get dehydrated before you feel thirsty.
• Get some good gear.  "Take advantage of the new technology in waterproof, breathable clothing material," advises Vindum. The right gear lets you feel good in any type of weather.
• Make outdoor exercises part of your lifestyle.  "You can learn exercises that use only body weight and gravity and do them while you are walking to the post office," Vindum says. Think about walking instead of driving. Plan outdoor activities with your family. Go for a hike instead of a drive.

RELATED: What to Wear for Cold Weather Workouts

"Why would you need bottled aromatherapy when you can go outside and smell nature? Outside exercise uses all your senses and connects your body and mind," Vindum says. “It can be a life-changing experience."

Why an outdoor workout is better for you than indoors

“green” exercise can magnify the benefits of your workout.

If you want to clear your mind and hone your attention, walk around a park for 15 minutes.

Research suggests moving your workout outside can be a simple way to magnify its benefits, not only for thinking but also health, happiness, fitness and motivation — a timely message as springtime temperatures rise, leaves bud, days lengthen and the outdoors beckons.

More specifically, a new, small study of the neurological effects of “green exercise” — meaning physical activity done in nature — finds a short, leafy stroll improves working memory and concentration substantially more than completing the same brief walk inside.

Walking meetings in the woods

“This all started with our walking meetings,” said Katherine Boere, a neuroscience doctoral candidate at the University of Victoria, who led the neurological study of green exercise. She and her neuroscientist colleagues frequently walked and talked, she said, aware of how energizing movement can be.

Boere suspected the woody walks were more productive than staying inside but wanted confirmation. She checked research, which showed walking, inside or out, generally increased brain blood flow and cleared people’s minds.

But the walks in many past studies lasted for 30 minutes or more, while Boere’s peripatetic meetings were half that long.

Exercise outdoors vs. indoors

For the new study, she and her colleagues gathered 30 college students, tested their working memory and ability to focus, and on alternate days, had them walk for about 15 minutes inside a building or outside on leaf-canopied paths, before repeating the cognitive tests.

On most measures, the outside walk easily trumped the indoor version. Students concentrated better and responded faster, results that accord with scientific ideas about how nature affects our minds, Boere said. According to one widely held theory, she continued, the natural world encourages even the jumpiest among us to relax, slowing the onslaught of internal ruminations about every pressing concern, and letting our whirring brains quiet.

In this telling, nature provides what scientists call “soft fascination,” she said — it holds our attention without demanding constant intellectual processing. Our overtaxed attention can reset, and afterward, we can concentrate and reason more readily.

This process occurs on top of the expected physiological effects that going for a walk has on thinking, Boere pointed out, such as the augmented flow of blood and oxygen to the brain. “That’s why,” she said, she and her co-authors titled their new study, “Exercising is good for the brain but exercising outside is potentially better.”

Nature can make tough exercise feel easier

The effects can extend beyond brief improvements in concentration, other research shows, to upping motivation and making exercise feel less daunting. In a study published last year from China; young, inactive people with obesity who started walking in a park or gym on alternate days reported feeling considerably less stress and enjoying exercise more when they walked outside.

The same was true in a previous study of older men and women who told researchers where they typically exercised, mostly by walking, and then wore activity trackers for a week. Those who walked outside voluntarily exercised for about 30 minutes more during the week than people who walked inside.

Even when exercise is strenuous, it can feel ineffably easier and more enjoyable when the surroundings are glorious. In a 2017 study in Innsbruck , a group of healthy and fortunate volunteers agreed to hike in the alpine mountains above town, ambling up and back for three hours.

On a separate day, they repeated the effort on gym treadmills set to emulate the hike’s incline. Heart rate monitors proved the outdoor ramble objectively had required more exertion than hiking on the treadmill. The hikers’ heart rates had risen and remained higher on the mountainside, but they told researchers that traipsing up the slope had felt less strenuous and left them feeling happier than hiking in the gym.

Avoid the concrete jungle

There are caveats, though, to mixing nature and exercise to create the best effect. Simply being outdoors by itself may not be enough if the outdoors is bounded by buildings and concrete.

In a review of past research published last year, researchers found that exercising in urbanized outdoor settings — which they defined as commercial districts, downtowns, and other built-up areas with few trees or other natural elements — tended to be less beneficial for people’s mental health than similar exercise in greener, untrammeled environments, like parks and forests.

The length and intensity of green exercise can count, too. In the same review, people reported feeling considerably more tranquil after walking or gently jogging for about 15 minutes through parks or similar spaces, but less so when the exercise lasted for 40 minutes or longer, or was draining. A 4 mile run in the park helped calm women in one study cited by the review, but more than doubling that distance to about 9 miles was not nearly as soothing.

Overall, 15 minutes of green exercise “appeared to be the most beneficial” for people’s mental health, said Claire Wicks, a senior research assistant at the University of Essex in England, who led the new review. Even less could soothe our nerves, too, she added. According to newer research not included in the review, “as little as five minutes of green exercise can be beneficial,” she said.

Still, if weather, schedules, disinclination or other obstacles keep you inside, don’t sweat it. Or, rather, do — at least to the extent you can. Whether inside or out, in green spaces or gray, lit by sunshine or fluorescents, exercise remains good for us. “You may experience greater mental health benefits if you are able to be active outside in a natural environment,” Wicks said. “But, since physical activity is extremely important for our physical and mental health no matter what you do or where you do it, just keep being active.”

Do you have a fitness question? Email [email protected] and we may answer your question in a future column.

Katherine Boere is a neuroscience doctoral candidate at the University of Victoria. An earlier version of this story incorrectly said she was a doctoral candidate at the University of Toronto. The story has been updated.

Sign up for the Well+Being newsletter, your source of expert advice and simple tips to help you live well every day

Advice for your next workout

Your Move columnist Gretchen Reynolds has more advice to help you get moving.

Just getting started at the gym? Doing these 6 exercises , once a week, will make you stronger.

Is your workout followed by a day of sitting? Find out what to do instead to stay active.

Feeling sluggish? It might be your microbiome — here’s what to know about its effects on motivation .

Short on time? You can do this speedy scientific workout just about anywhere.

Looking for a quick bodyweight workout? Learn these 3 exercises.

• How to start tai chi April 5, 2024 How to start tai chi April 5, 2024
• Are walking pads worth it? Why I’m never leaving my desk treadmill. April 4, 2024 Are walking pads worth it? Why I’m never leaving my desk treadmill. April 4, 2024
• ‘Ego-lifting’ cited as probable factor in exercise-related head injuries April 1, 2024 ‘Ego-lifting’ cited as probable factor in exercise-related head injuries April 1, 2024

• Weight Management
• Nutrition Facts
• Nutrition Basics
• Meal Delivery Services
• Fitness Gear
• Apparel & Accessories
• Recipe Nutrition Calculator
• Weight Loss Calorie Goal
• BMI Calculator
• Body Fat Percentage Calculator
• Calories Burned by Activity
• Daily Calories Burned
• Pace Calculator
• Editorial Process
• Meet Our Review Board

Revitalize Your Fitness Routine: 8 Reasons to Embrace Outdoor Workouts

Tap into the Energizing Blend of Nature, Vitamin D, and Unlimited Possibilities

Kristin McGee is a certified personal trainer and currently teaches yoga and meditation for Peloton. She is also certified in Pilates by the National Association of Sports Medicine.

Verywell / Amelia Manley

• Boost Your Mood
• Reduce Stress Levels
• Experience a Variety of Terrain
• Engage Socially
• Increase Enjoyment
• Stave Off Illness
• Get a Dose of Vitamin D

Getting stuck in the same indoor workout routine is easy to do. But a repetitive exercise regimen can cause your body to plateau, and strength and cardio gains will then become harder to achieve. While working out indoors can be helpful due to inclement weather or convenience, it can get boring. To shake up your workout and get fresh air at the same time, explore the outdoors.

Not only are there numerous benefits to outside exercise, but being outdoors may help you better accomplish your health and fitness goals. Whether you are looking to improve your cardiovascular health, build muscle, or get a little extra vitamin D, here are eight reasons to take your workout outside.

Boost Your Mood 

Multiple studies have established that exercise has a positive impact on mood and happiness. In fact, it has been linked to reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression and a greater feeling of overall happiness. But, there is also evidence that doing that exercise outdoors may have an even greater impact.

According to a review in Psychiatry International , researchers discovered that moderate physical activity outdoors while exposed to sunlight or greenery was a significant factor in boosting mental health . Exercising outdoors also can be an important factor in managing mood disorders.

If you are wondering just how much physical activity you need, the American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes per week of moderate physical activity, preferably spread throughout the week. For the fitness enthusiast, you can gain even more benefits by being active for at least 300 minutes per week.  Here are some examples of moderate physical activity that can be done outside.

• Walk around your neighborhood at a rate of at least 2.5 miles per hour. 
• Garden, which depending on your location, can be conducted year-round. 
• Play tennis , which can be done in pairs for greater social interaction.
• Spend time cycling around your community.

Reduce Stress Levels 

Exercising in the open air and among the elements can reduce symptoms of anxiety, anxiousness, and even loneliness. Being outside—even if you are alone—can help you feel as though you are part of the world around you.

In a study on the levels of nature and stress response, researchers gathered data on stress levels from three different environments: a municipal-type park, an indoor exercise facility in an urban locale, and a natural site. Biophysical markers (for example, cortisol and amylase) and psychological measurements were taken before and after visits to all three locations.

Researchers found that visiting natural environments had the most positive impact on reducing physical and psychological stress when compared to the other two locations. In fact, participants visiting the natural environment reported significantly lower levels of stress than when they visited the other two options.  

Experience a Variety of Terrain 

Walking on uneven terrain, running uphill and over rocks, or performing bodyweight exercises on a local track challenges different muscle groups, facilitates strength building, and creates better balance and coordination. Options for mixing up the outdoor terrain include the following: 

• Mountain biking on local trails targets a specific set of muscles such as the glutes, quads , and hamstrings . 
• Hiking on local trails can provide immediate health benefits, such as better immune system functioning, restored attention, decreased blood pressure, and lowered stress levels, according to a review article on hiking from the  American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine .
• Running is another option and is one of the least expensive sports to do. You do not need any—other than a good pair of running shoes —which may explain its popularity.  For variety on where to run, look for universities and high schools often open their track for public use or trails, allowing you to run on surfaces that are friendlier to your knees than asphalt or concrete sidewalks.

Save Money 

Exercising outside can also provide a budget-friendly way to stay fit. Gym registrations and their respective membership fees can add up in price. However, to go outside and exercise, all you need are a good pair of athletic shoes and comfortable fitness apparel that works for the weather. 

You can also take advantage of ready-made equipment for circuit training, such as playground equipment at a local school or park, says athlete and former personal trainer, Lisa Howard, CPT-ACSM. Some examples include running tires, doing pull-ups, and practicing chin-ups on the monkey bars. You can even use the swings for suspension exercises like TRX systems , Howard says. 

 Engage Socially 

Being outdoors provides opportunities for social interaction and a supportive network. You could join a group or participate in outdoor fitness classes to help you build a sense of community and hold you accountable.

The social aspect also helps with mental health issues. Researchers in a study on outdoor physical activity and social connectedness found that green spaces were an ideal setting to address critical health concerns such as mental health conditions, obesity concerns, and anxiety.

Increase Enjoyment 

Conquering a lengthy mountain biking route or coming back to your car after enduring an extended hike can cause feelings of immense enjoyment and fulfillment, which acts as a potent incentive to continue with physical activity. In a study examining motivations for adhering to exercise outdoors, researchers found that simple enjoyment was the most significant motivator for any type of green exercise.  

Stave Off Illness 

In enclosed environments like gyms, germs can be rampant, especially if people do not bother to clean their machines. This allows bacteria to jump from one person to another quite easily. Simply moving your workout outside can give you fresh air much freer from potential maladies.

Plus exercising outdoors, allows you the opportunity to work out even when you are a little under the weather , says Cedrina L. Calder, MD. “Exercising outdoors or in places where there are not a lot of people [helps] to avoid passing your illness to others."

To stay as healthy as possible when working out in natural environments, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the following:

• Apply sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 and reapply every two hours and after swimming or sweating. 
• Use insect repellent after sunscreen. After you come inside, be sure to check your clothing and body for ticks. 
• Keep cool when the heat gets extreme. Avoid exercising in hot weather as you could develop any number of heat-related illnesses, such as dehydration , hyponatremia, or sunstroke. 
• Drink water instead of sugary beverages to help stay hydrated. 

 Get a Dose of Vitamin D 

Sunlight can provide you with vitamin D , an essential vitamin for healthy bones and a strong immune system. In fact, an article from  Photochemistry and Photobiology  indicates that sunshine is the most important source of vitamin D.

How does this work? The sun’s ultraviolet light forms vitamin D in the skin. It is transported to the liver and converted to 25-hydroxyvitamin D (a bone density conservation agent).  Your body converts this form of vitamin D (also known as calcidiol) into calcitriol to be used by the intestines, bones, kidneys, and immune system.

Taniguchi K, Takano M, Tobari Y, et al.  Influence of external natural environment including sunshine exposure on public mental health: a systematic review .  Psychiatry International . 2022;3(1):91-113. doi:10.3390/psychiatryint3010008 

American Heart Association.  American Heart Association recommendations for physical activity in adults and kids .

Ewert A, Chang Y.  Levels of nature and stress response .  Behav Sci (Basel) . 2018;8(5):49. doi:10.3390/bs8050049 

Mitten D, Overholt JR, Haynes FI, D’Amore CC, Ady JC.  Hiking: A low-cost, accessible intervention to promote health benefits .  Am J Lifestyle Med . 2018;12(4):302-310. doi:10.1177/1559827616658229 

Statista.  Running and jogging - Statistics and facts .

Wray A, Martin G, Ostermeier E, et al.  Physical activity and social connectedness interventions in outdoor spaces among children and youth: A rapid review .  Health Promot Chronic Dis Prev Can . 2020;40(4):104-115. doi:10.24095/hpcdp.40.4.02 

Fraser M, Munoz SA, MacRury S.  What motivates participants to adhere to green exercise?   Int J Environ Res Public Health . 2019;16(10):1832. doi:10.3390/ijerph16101832 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  Tips for a healthy summer . 

O’Sullivan F, Raftery T, van Weele M, et al.  Sunshine is an important determinant of vitamin d status even among high-dose supplement users: secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial in crohn’s disease patients .  Photochem Photobiol . 2019;95(4):1060-1067. doi:10.1111/php.13086 

By Jennifer Purdie, M.Ed, CPT Jennifer Purdie, M.Ed, is a certified personal trainer, freelance writer, and author of "Growth Mindset for Athletes, Coaches and Trainers."

• Human Editing
• Free AI Essay Writer
• AI Outline Generator
• AI Paragraph Generator
• Paragraph Expander
• Essay Expander
• Literature Review Generator
• Research Paper Generator
• Thesis Generator
• Paraphrasing tool
• AI Rewording Tool
• AI Sentence Rewriter
• AI Rephraser
• AI Paragraph Rewriter
• Summarizing Tool
• AI Content Shortener
• Plagiarism Checker
• AI Detector
• AI Essay Checker
• Citation Generator
• Reference Finder
• Book Citation Generator
• Legal Citation Generator
• Journal Citation Generator
• Reference Citation Generator
• Scientific Citation Generator
• Source Citation Generator
• Website Citation Generator
• URL Citation Generator
• Proofreading Service
• Editing Service
• AI Writing Guides
• AI Detection Guides
• Citation Guides
• Grammar Guides
• Paraphrasing Guides
• Plagiarism Guides
• Summary Writing Guides
• STEM Guides
• Humanities Guides
• Language Learning Guides
• Coding Guides
• Top Lists and Recommendations
• AI Detectors
• AI Writing Services
• Coding Homework Help
• Citation Generators
• Editing Websites
• Essay Writing Websites
• Language Learning Websites
• Math Solvers
• Paraphrasers
• Plagiarism Checkers
• Reference Finders
• Spell Checkers
• Summarizers
• Tutoring Websites

Most Popular

Ai or not ai a student suspects one of their peer reviewer was a bot, how to summarize a research article, loose vs lose, how to cite a blog, apa paraphrasing, how does outdoor exercises impact our health and well-being essay sample, example.

Outdoor exercises

Outdoor exercises have become increasingly popular in recent years, and the reasons for this are clear. Regular physical activity has long been linked to improved health and well-being, and outdoor exercises offer a range of benefits that cannot be found in indoor activities. In this essay, I will explore how outdoor exercises impact our health and well-being, and why they are an essential part of a healthy lifestyle.

Firstly, outdoor exercises allow us to enjoy the benefits of fresh air and nature. Spending time in nature has been shown to reduce stress levels and improve mood, which can have a positive impact on our mental health. Being outside also exposes us to natural sunlight, which is essential for the production of vitamin D. Vitamin D plays a crucial role in our immune system, bone health, and mental health, and being outside is an excellent way to boost our levels.

Secondly, outdoor exercises offer a wider range of activities than indoor exercises. Running, cycling, hiking, swimming, and kayaking are just a few examples of outdoor activities that can help us stay active and healthy. These activities not only provide cardiovascular exercise, but they also work different muscle groups, which can help us build strength and endurance. Outdoor exercises also tend to be more varied and engaging than indoor exercises, which can help us stay motivated and committed to our fitness goals.

Thirdly, outdoor exercises can help us connect with others and build social connections. Participating in outdoor activities such as group fitness classes, sports teams, or hiking groups can help us meet new people and build friendships. Having a social support network has been linked to improved mental health and well-being, and outdoor exercises can be a great way to build this support network.

Finally, outdoor exercises can help us develop a sense of adventure and exploration. Trying new outdoor activities can be a thrilling and exciting experience, and it can help us challenge ourselves and push our limits. This can boost our confidence and self-esteem, which can have a positive impact on all aspects of our lives.

In conclusion, outdoor exercises offer a range of benefits that can improve our health and well-being. From reducing stress and improving mood to building strength and endurance, outdoor activities are an essential part of a healthy lifestyle. By incorporating outdoor exercises into our daily routines, we can enjoy the benefits of fresh air, nature, and social connections, and develop a sense of adventure and exploration that can help us lead fulfilling and enjoyable lives.

You can find more Essay Topics in our weekly digest based on the real market data and research from A*Help.

What are some of the benefits of outdoor exercise?

Outdoor exercise has numerous benefits including improved cardiovascular health, increased energy levels, reduced stress and anxiety, improved mood, and better overall mental and physical health.

How does outdoor exercise impact mental health?

Outdoor exercise has been shown to improve mental health by reducing stress and anxiety, improving mood, and boosting self-esteem. It can also provide a break from the daily routine and help individuals feel more connected to nature and their surroundings.

Are there any specific outdoor exercises that are particularly beneficial?

Any form of outdoor exercise that gets your heart rate up and engages your muscles can be beneficial. Examples include hiking, cycling, swimming, running, and outdoor sports such as soccer or basketball.

Is outdoor exercise better than indoor exercise?

Both outdoor and indoor exercise have their benefits, but outdoor exercise has been shown to have additional benefits such as improved mood and increased vitamin D intake from sunlight exposure.

Can outdoor exercise help with weight loss?

Outdoor exercise can be a helpful tool for weight loss, as it can burn calories and improve overall fitness levels. However, it is important to also maintain a healthy diet to achieve weight loss goals.

Are there any downsides to outdoor exercise?

While outdoor exercise has numerous benefits, it is important to take precautions to protect yourself from environmental hazards such as extreme heat or cold, pollution, and UV radiation. It is also important to stay hydrated and wear appropriate clothing and sunscreen.

Follow us on Reddit for more insights and updates.

Comments (0)

Welcome to A*Help comments!

We’re all about debate and discussion at A*Help.

We value the diverse opinions of users, so you may find points of view that you don’t agree with. And that’s cool. However, there are certain things we’re not OK with: attempts to manipulate our data in any way, for example, or the posting of discriminative, offensive, hateful, or disparaging material.

Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

More from Best Persuasive Essay Examples

May 28 2023

Should Screen Time Be Limited? Essay Sample, Example

Why Video Games are Good for the Brain. Essay Sample, Example

May 27 2023

Why Fairy Tales Spark Imagination and Offer Moral Lessons Essay Sample, Example

Remember Me

What is your profession ? Student Teacher Writer Other

Forgotten Password?

Username or Email

An official website of the United States government

The .gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

• Publications
• Account settings

Preview improvements coming to the PMC website in October 2024. Learn More or Try it out now .

• Advanced Search
• Journal List
• Elsevier Sponsored Documents

The health benefits of the great outdoors: A systematic review and meta-analysis of greenspace exposure and health outcomes

Associated data.

The health benefits of greenspaces have demanded the attention of policymakers since the 1800s. Although much evidence suggests greenspace exposure is beneficial for health, there exists no systematic review and meta-analysis to synthesise and quantify the impact of greenspace on a wide range of health outcomes.

To quantify evidence of the impact of greenspace on a wide range of health outcomes.

We searched five online databases and reference lists up to January 2017. Studies satisfying a priori eligibility criteria were evaluated independently by two authors.

We included 103 observational and 40 interventional studies investigating ~100 health outcomes. Meta-analysis results showed increased greenspace exposure was associated with decreased salivary cortisol −0.05 (95% CI −0.07, −0.04), heart rate −2.57 (95% CI −4.30, −0.83), diastolic blood pressure −1.97 (95% CI −3.45, −0.19), HDL cholesterol −0.03 (95% CI −0.05, <-0.01), low frequency heart rate variability (HRV) −0.06 (95% CI −0.08, −0.03) and increased high frequency HRV 91.87 (95% CI 50.92, 132.82), as well as decreased risk of preterm birth 0.87 (95% CI 0.80, 0.94), type II diabetes 0.72 (95% CI 0.61, 0.85), all-cause mortality 0.69 (95% CI 0.55, 0.87), small size for gestational age 0.81 (95% CI 0.76, 0.86), cardiovascular mortality 0.84 (95% CI 0.76, 0.93), and an increased incidence of good self-reported health 1.12 (95% CI 1.05, 1.19). Incidence of stroke, hypertension, dyslipidaemia, asthma, and coronary heart disease were reduced. For several non-pooled health outcomes, between 66.7% and 100% of studies showed health-denoting associations with increased greenspace exposure including neurological and cancer-related outcomes, and respiratory mortality.

Conclusions

Greenspace exposure is associated with numerous health benefits in intervention and observational studies. These results are indicative of a beneficial influence of greenspace on a wide range of health outcomes. However several meta-analyses results are limited by poor study quality and high levels of heterogeneity. Green prescriptions involving greenspace use may have substantial benefits. Our findings should encourage practitioners and policymakers to give due regard to how they can create, maintain, and improve existing accessible greenspaces in deprived areas. Furthermore the development of strategies and interventions for the utilisation of such greenspaces by those who stand to benefit the most.

• • Greenspace exposure is associated with wide ranging health benefits across 143 included studies.
• • Meta-analysis showed statistically significant reductions in diastolic blood pressure, salivary cortisol and heart rate.
• • Meta-analysis found statistically significant decreases in incidence of diabetes, all-cause and cardiovascular mortality.
• • A number of meta-analyses were limited by poor study quality and high levels of heterogeneity.
• • Greenspace and street greenery may form part of a multi-faceted approach to improve a wide range of health outcomes.

1. Introduction

The idea that greenspaces are beneficial for the health of the population became a generally accepted principle as early as the 1800s, when various London-based organisations including the Commons Preservation Society and the National Health Society called for the preservation, creation, and accessibility of open spaces and parks within crowded residential areas, referring to them as the “lungs” of the town or city ( Hickman, 2013 ). More recent Healthy City guidelines from the WHO support this view, defining a healthy city as “one that continually creates and improves its physical and social environments and expands the community resources that enable people to mutually support each other in performing all the functions of life and developing to their maximum potential” ( World Health Organisation, 2016a ). However, increasing urbanicity and modern lifestyles can mean that opportunities for human contact with nature become less frequent.

The term greenspace is typically defined as open, undeveloped land with natural vegetation ( Centres for Disease Control, 2013 ), although it also exists in many other forms such as urban parks and public open spaces as well as street trees and greenery. Recognition of the health benefits of greenspace exposure was one of the motivations of Oxford General Practitioner William Bird MBE in establishing the UK’s first health walk scheme at his practice in 1995, leading to the foundation of the English Walking for Health programme (WfH) ( Walking for Health, 2016 ). Collaborations between health care providers and local nature partnerships are becoming increasingly common across the UK ( Bloomfield, 2014 , Kent Nature Partnership, 2014 , Naturally Healthy Cambridgeshire, 2016 , West of England Nature Partnership, 2016 ) and further afield ( New Zealand Ministry of Health, 2016 ), and aim to better capitalise on ways the health of the natural environment is intrinsically linked to human health, striving for “healthy communities in healthy environments” ( Naturally Healthy Cambridgeshire, 2016 ). Yet a challenge is to ensure those who might benefit the most have sufficient opportunities for exposure to greenspace.

Socioeconomic health inequalities have consistently commanded the attention of researchers and policymakers, with evidence that inequalities are currently increasing ( Townsend et al., 1982 ). Environmental factors form one of the many potential explanations as to their cause ( World Health Organisation, 2016b ). Research has shown that low income neighbourhoods have reduced greenspace availability (Thomas Astell-Burt et al., 2014a , Astell-Burt et al., 2014b ), and residents of more deprived neighbourhoods are less likely to use those greenspaces that exist ( Jones et al., 2009 ). Park quality and frequency of park use have both been found to be higher amongst high-socioeconomic status (SES) residents ( Leslie et al., 2010 ). It should also be noted that living in a greener neighbourhood has been linked with stronger greenspace-health associations ( Fuertes et al., 2014 , McEachan et al., 2015 , Mitchell and Popham, 2007 ) and that income-related health inequalities have been shown to be lower in greener neighbourhoods ( Mitchell and Popham, 2008 ). Greenspace may currently be overlooked as a resource for health and as part of a multi-component approach to decrease health inequalities.

Several hypotheses have been suggested to explain the relationship between nature and health and well-being. The first, is that natural and green areas promote health due to the opportunities for physical activity that they present. The health benefits of physical activity are well understood, with literature suggesting that exercising in a green environment may be more salutogenic than exercising in an indoor gym environment ( Thompson Coon JB et al., 2011 ). Secondly, public greenspaces have been associated with social interaction, which can contribute towards improved well-being ( Maas et al., 2009 ). Thirdly, exposure to sunlight, which is thought to counteract seasonal affective disorder ( Rosenthal et al., 1984 ) and a source of vitamin D ( van der Wielen RdG et al., 1995 ) has been suggested as a causative pathway for this relationship. A fourth is the “Old friends” hypothesis, which proposes that use of greenspace increases exposure to a range of micro-organisms, including bacteria, protozoa and helminths, which are abundant in nature and may be important for the development of the immune system and for regulation of inflammatory responses ( Rook, 2013 ). Further potential mechanisms include the cooling influence of bodies of greenspace on surface radiating temperature (SRT), which has been documented as beneficial for health ( Shin and Lee, 2005 ), as well as the mitigation of greenspace against environmental hazards such as air ( Dadvand et al., 2012a , Yang et al., 2005 ) and noise pollution ( De Ridder et al., 2004 , Wolch et al., 2014 ).

Whilst there is a growing body of literature attempting to quantify the links between nature and improved health and well-being, systematic reviews in this area have largely focused on the association between greenspace and a specific health outcome or behaviour such as mortality ( Gascon et al., 2016 , van den Berg et al., 2015 ), obesity ( Lachowycz and Jones, 2011 ), birth weight ( Dzhambov et al., 2014 ), physical wellbeing ( Thompson Coon JB et al., 2011 ) as well as the acute health benefits of short term exposure to greenspace ( Bowler et al., 2010 ). Associations have been reported with improved perceived general health, perceived mental health, as well as linking quality of neighbourhood greenness with improved general health ( van den Berg et al., 2015 ). Physical activity in a natural outdoor environment has been associated with reduced negative emotions and fatigue, increased energy ( Bowler et al., 2010 , Thompson Coon JB et al., 2011 ), improved attention, as well as greater satisfaction, enjoyment and a greater intent to repeat the activity ( Bowler et al., 2010 ). Additionally, meta-analyses have shown increased residential greenspace to be significantly associated with reduced cardiovascular and all-cause mortality ( Gascon et al., 2016 ), and increased birth weight ( Dzhambov et al., 2014 ). Yet no systematic review has attempted to determine the impact of greenspace on a wide range of health outcomes.

With this systematic review, we aim to address a major gap in the evidence by identifying a set of health outcomes that have been investigated as being potentially associated with exposure to greenspace. Health outcome terms were taken from the 10th revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10), a medical classification list produced by the World Health Organisation ( World Health Organisation, 2015 ), with greenspace terms taken from a previous systematic review ( Lachowycz and Jones, 2011 ). The clarification of the magnitude of associations facilitates the investigation of potential underlying mechanisms in the relationship between nature and health. Furthermore, clinicians may use these findings to make recommendations to patients, which may convey health benefits or assist in tackling socio-economic health inequalities.

This systematic review followed Cochrane systematic review guidelines ( Deeks et al., 2011 ), requirements of the NHS National Institute of Health Research Centre for Reviews and Dissemination ( PROSPERO, 2015 ) and the PRISMA statement for reporting studies that evaluate healthcare interventions ( Liberati et al., 2009 , Moher et al., 2009 ). Methods of the analysis and inclusion criteria were specified in advance and documented in a protocol registered as CRD42015025193 ( PROSPERO, 2015 ) available on the PROSPERO database http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/ .

2.1. Data sources

We searched electronic databases including MEDLINE (US National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland, U.S.), EMBASE (Reed Elsevier PLC, Amsterdam, Netherlands), AMED (Wolters Kluwer, Leicestershire, UK), CINAHL (EBSCO Publishing, Massachusetts, U.S.) and PsycINFO (American Psychological Association, Washington D.C., U.S.) from inception to the end of September 2015, using specific search terms. The search was then updated to include studies published until mid-January 2017. Databases were selected to best represent source material in health, allied health and human science. Additionally, reference lists from included studies and previous systematic reviews on greenspace and health were hand searched.

2.2. Search strategy

Search terms associated with greenspace were developed with reference to a previous systematic review on greenspace and obesity ( Lachowycz and Jones, 2011 ). For this review, we defined ‘greenspace’ as open, undeveloped land with natural vegetation as well as urban greenspaces, which included urban parks and street greenery. Health outcomes were taken from ICD-10 and then expanded to include the relevant metrics, for example “diabetes” was expanded to include “blood glucose” and glycated haemoglobin, commonly referred to as “HbA1c.” To limit the scope of work, mental health and communicable diseases were excluded from this review due to the volume of literature after including them in initial scoping searches. Outcomes associated with weight status and birth weight were also excluded, as systematic reviews investigating them have recently been published ( Dzhambov et al., 2014 , Lachowycz and Jones, 2011 , Thompson Coon JB et al., 2011 ).

The search strategy identified studies that contained at least one keyword or Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) from each list of search terms. The search was piloted to ensure known studies were identified and search syntax terms were adapted to suit each database. The electronic database search terms are detailed in the online supplementary table S2 (Appendix A ). The search strategy also incorporated limits to studies conducted on humans and studies written in English.

2.3. Study selection

All empirical studies where the outcome could be directly attributable to greenspace were included, including both intervention and observational studies. Titles and abstracts were examined by the primary reviewer (CB) to assess eligibility for the review using PICO criteria:

• • Participants: Male and female, no age restrictions
• • Intervention: Exposure to greenspace
• • Comparators: There is no comparator restriction
• • Outcomes: Any health outcome

Further details of the inclusion and exclusion criteria can be found in Table 1 , below.

Inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Reviewer (CB) initially screened titles and abstracts to remove obviously irrelevant articles, and then two reviewers screened all full text articles independently (CB & AJ) to identify studies for inclusion in the systematic review. Discrepancies were resolved by discussion. Frequently abstracts used terms such as “neighbourhood environment”, “built environment” or “neighbourhood facilities” and did not specify the definition of these terms or if greenspace was investigated. These studies were retrieved as full texts and screened for greenspace as an outcome to ensure that none were excluded erroneously.

2.4. Data extraction

A data extraction sheet was developed by both authors to record the study type, population, type of greenspace under investigation, greenspace measurement tool used, health outcome under investigation and the outcomes. This was piloted on four manuscripts and refined accordingly. Data was extracted into a coding frame using Microsoft Excel, synthesised and tabulated. All studies underwent methodological critical appraisal using one of two checklists. For intervention studies, we used a risk of bias tool employed by Hanson and Jones ( Hanson and Jones, 2015 ) and Ogilvie et al. ( Ogilvie et al., 2007 ), ( Table 3 ) which was adapted for purpose. For observational studies the Lachowycz and Jones ( Lachowycz and Jones, 2011 ) quality checklist ( Table 2 ) was adapted and used. Publication bias across studies within the meta-analysis was tested with funnel plots using SE as the measure of study size on the vertical axis and mean difference on the horizontal.

Adapted Lachowycz and Jones quality appraisal checklist for observational studies.

Adapted Hanson and Jones and Ogilvie et al. risk of bias tool for intervention studies.

2.5. Narrative synthesis and meta-synthesis

Following critical review of each study, a narrative synthesis was compiled. In order to be considered for meta-analysis, authors needed to present either 1) mean difference, standard deviation (SD) and sample size for both the highest and lowest greenspace categories, or 2) number of cases of the reported condition/disease as well as sample size for both highest and lowest greenspace categories. If the required data was not reported in the paper, authors were contacted for this information. In total, 92 authors were contacted of which 32 responded with the data required for meta-analysis. In order for a specific health outcome to be considered for meta-analysis data from a minimum of two studies was required. Where data was given for different subgroups, each was input separately and combined in meta-analyses using the RevMan software package. All results are presented as forest plots with 95% confidence intervals. The I 2 statistic was calculated to quantify the degree of heterogeneity between studies ( Higgins et al., 2003 ). A rough guide to interpreting heterogeneity is provided in the Cochrane handbook and gives I 2 values of 30–60% to represent moderate heterogeneity and values of 50–90% to represent substantial heterogeneity ( Deeks et al., 2011 ). In cases of high heterogeneity, the known heterogeneity was assessed (i.e. populations, study design, exposure etc) to ensure that a meta-analysis was appropriate. A random effects model was employed for all meta-analyses as it is considered to represent a more conservative approach, suitable for cases of high heterogeneity ( Higgins and Green, 2011 ).

Sensitivity analysis was then undertaken, which included studies which only scored 9 or above (out of a total of 11) in either the risk of bias tool or quality appraisal checklist, meaning that all but 2 risk of bias/quality checklist criteria had been met.

The initial database search yielded 10,430 studies, of which 8986 were removed as duplicates or as clearly irrelevant after reviewing titles. A further 6 studies were retrieved from reference lists of review articles. The abstracts of 1444 studies were screened and any that did not provide enough information were retrieved for full text examination. A total of 247 papers were read as full texts to be assessed for eligibility. After independent assessment by the second reviewer (AJ), 143 studies met the inclusion criteria and were eligible to be included in the synthesis. The review flow chart is detailed in Fig. 1 . The characteristics and synthesised results for all 143 papers are detailed in supplementary table S1 (Appendix A ).

Flow chart of studies.

3.1. Study characteristics

Although there was no date restriction on the search, 96% of the articles were studies from the past 10 years, illustrating recent growth in interest in greenspace and health, with no papers prior to 1984 meeting the inclusion criteria. Studies were in 20 different countries. Although 50% of studies were in Europe, the country with the highest frequency of included studies was Japan with 24. The populations under investigation varied greatly in size, with the smallest an intervention study of 9 participants ( Ochiai et al., 2015 ), the largest study using primary data collection presented results for 2593 primary schoolchildren ( Dadvand et al., 2015 ), and the largest study using routinely collected data used 2011 UK census data with a population of >63 million ( Wheeler et al., 2015 ). In some papers, the number of participants was not reported.

Eleven different types of greenspace exposure were measured, the most common of which was neighbourhood greenspace (including residential greenspace, street greenery and tree canopy) measured by 56 studies, followed by greenspace-based interventions and proximity to a large greenspace. Several randomised studies compared a known green environment (i.e. a park or forest) with an urban or indoor environment. One study examined whether viewing trees through a hospital window had any association with post-operative recovery time when compared with a window view of a wall with no trees ( Ulrich, 1984 ). One included study investigated both green and blue (water) space ( Burkart et al., 2016 ). Studies investigating blue space alone with no investigation of greenspace exposure were excluded at the full text screening stage. A variety of greenspace measurement tools were used, including Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CeH) land cover map, and tree canopy and street tree data, as well as subjective measures of greenness such as self-reported quality of neighbourhood greenspace and self-reported frequency of walking in a green area.

Within the 143 studies, 40 were interventional and the remainder observational. Out of the 40 interventional studies, 27 were investigating the association between shinrin-yoku and various health outcomes. Shinrin yoku, or “forest bathing” is a popular practice in Japan and neighbouring countries, and is defined as “taking in the atmosphere of the forest” ( Park et al., 2010 ). It is said to have health-promoting properties and to reduce stress ( Park et al., 2010 ). Participants of shinrin-yoku spend time in the forest either sitting or lying down, or walking through the forest. In studies investigating forest bathing, a control group carried out the same activity in an urban environment. These studies typically had small numbers of participants (between 9 and 280 participants).

Of the 103 observational studies, 35 were cohort studies and 69 cross-sectional, including 18 large scale ecological studies investigating environmental influences on health amongst the population using census data. Almost 100 health outcomes were investigated, with most manuscripts investigating more than one outcome. The most frequently investigated health outcomes were cardiovascular, including cardiovascular mortality, blood pressure, heart rate and incidence of angina and myocardial infarction. Other commonly reported health outcomes included pregnancy outcomes, self-reported health, mortality (all-cause, respiratory and intentional self-harm), and diabetes, as well as various blood biomarkers. The individual health outcomes investigated by each study are detailed in the table of study characteristics, supplementary table S1 (Appendix A) .

3.2. Study quality

All 143 articles were assessed for quality using adapted versions of the Lachowycz and Jones checklist ( Lachowycz and Jones, 2011 ) for observational studies ( Table 2 ) and the Hanson and Jones and Ogilvie et al. risk of bias tool ( Hanson and Jones, 2015 , Ogilvie et al., 2007 ) for interventional studies ( Table 3 ). No study was excluded due to a low quality score. Assessments of quality were initially made by the first reviewer (CB) and then all studies were cross-checked by one other (AJ, SH or EC) for discrepancies.

An inter-rater reliability analysis using the κ statistic was performed and found κ 0.937, p < 0.001 representing substantial agreement. Full consensus was reached after discussion. In the case that a checklist item consistently brought up discrepancies, clarification of the definition of the item was discussed. Individual quality analysis scores can be found in the supplementary tables S5 (observational studies) and S6 (intervention studies) ( Appendix B ).

For the 103 observational studies assessed using the Lachowycz and Jones checklist ( Lachowycz and Jones, 2011 ) detailed in Table 2 , scores ranged from 4 (one study) to 11 (one study), out of a total of 11 criteria. Only 12.6% of studies scored ≤ 7, with 39.8% of studies scoring 9 out of 11. The two checklist criteria which were the most recurrently missing from were “ 5. Did the green space measure include information on type of greenspace?” and “ 6. Use of greenspace was measured and included in the analysis”.

For the 40 interventional studies assessed using the Hanson and Jones and Ogilvie et al. risk of bias tool ( Hanson and Jones, 2015 , Ogilvie et al., 2007 ) detailed in Table 3 , scores ranged from 5 (one study) to 11 (one study) out of a total of 11 criteria. Only 7.7% of studies scored ≤ 7, with 66.7% of studies scoring 9 out of 11. The two checklist criteria which were the most recurrently missing from studies were “ 5. Did the authors show that there was no evidence of a concurrent intervention which could have influenced the results?” and “ 6. Were the study samples shown to be representative of the study population?”

3.3. Meta-analysis

When extracting information from papers for meta-analysis, ‘high’ and ‘low’ greenspace exposure was defined based on the highest and lowest exposure categories provided in each paper. These were typically the highest or lowest quartile or quintile of exposure.” Commonly reported outcome measures enabled meta-analysis of 24 health outcomes, summarised in Table 4 and presented in full in supplementary Figs. S2-S25 (Appendix B) . Statistically significant health denoting associations between high versus low greenspace exposure groups were identified for self-reported health, type II diabetes ( Fig. 2 ), all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, diastolic blood pressure ( Fig. 3 ), salivary cortisol, heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV), and HDL cholesterol as well as preterm birth and small size for gestational age births. Reductions were also found for incidence of stroke, hypertension, dyslipidaemia, asthma, and coronary heart disease, as well as improvements in systolic blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, and gestational age. However these results were not statistically significant.

Summary meta-analysis results table: mean difference (MD) between highest and lowest greenspace exposure groups.

Meta-analysis of the effects of greenspace exposure on incidence of type II diabetes.

Meta-analysis of the effects of greenspace exposure on diastolic blood pressure.

Zero heterogeneity was reported for 8 of the analyses, 6 reported moderate heterogeneity (30–60%) with 9 having substantial heterogeneity (>60%). This suggests substantial heterogeneity between studies for heart rate, diastolic and systolic blood pressure, self-reported health, preterm birth, diabetes, all-cause mortality, small size for gestational age, hypertension and asthma. The I 2 score for the good self-reported health meta-analysis was 100%, indicating very high levels of inconsistency between studies. Using funnel plots, all studies were identified as visually symmetrical with a narrow spread at the top of the funnel indicating precision with results close to the pooled estimate and without bias towards smaller studies. Supplementary Fig. S1 (Appendix B) shows an example funnel plot.

To test whether significant meta-analysis results were due to inclusion of poor quality studies, sensitivity analysis was conducted where possible. Meta-analysis was repeated with only studies that scored ≥9 in either the quality appraisal checklist or risk of bias tool. This was only possible for heart rate, which showed a stronger effect size −3.46 (95% CI −4.05, −2.88) (2 studies removed), systolic blood pressure, which decreased in effect size and remained statistically non-significant −0.49 (95% CI −1.20, 0.22) (2 studies removed), and self-reported good health, which decreased in effect size and lost significance 1.06 (95% CI 0.96, 1.18) (6 studies removed). Table 6 shows the results from this sensitivity analysis. Fasting blood glucose, cholesterol, HbA1c, asthma, and triglycerides meta-analyses were not possible to include as there was only one remaining high quality study. The remaining meta-analyses consisted only of studies scoring ≥9, and so sensitivity analysis was not possible.

Summary results table of sensitivity analysis meta-analysis consisting of only studies which scored ≥9 in quality checklist or risk of bias tool.

3.4. Non-pooled health outcomes

Meta-analysis was not possible for a number of health outcomes including cancer, respiratory mortality, neurological outcomes, and various biomarkers, as no two studies presented results on comparable outcomes. Three studies reported on cancer outcomes and found that living in the highest quartile of greenspace was associated with a significantly reduced risk of prostate cancer ( Demoury et al., 2017 ), OR 0.82 (95% CI 0.72, 0.92), as well as reduced incidence of overall cancer mortality HR 0.87 (95% CI 0.78, 0.97) ( James et al., 2016 ), whilst an Australian study found a significant increased risk of skin cancer for participants living in the highest greenspace quartile OR 1.07 (95% CI 1.01, 1.14) Astell-Burt et al., 2014a , Astell-Burt et al., 2014b ). One study found living in the highest quartile of greenspace to be associated with reduced incidence of respiratory mortality ( James et al., 2016 ) HR 0.66 (95% CI 0.52, 0.84). In terms of neurological outcomes, one study found that living in a neighbourhood with a low % of greenspace was associated with deficits in motor development in children ( Kabisch et al., 2016 ), whilst another found no association between greenspace and cognitive development (Ward et al., 2016). A number of studies investigated a variety of biomarkers including natural killer cells ( Kim et al., 2015 ), C-reactive protein ( Mao et al., 2012b ), and perforin ( Jia et al., 2016 ). Individual study results can be found in the table of study characteristics, supplementary table S1 (Appendix A) .

4. Discussion

This systematic review and meta-analysis of 143 studies provides evidence that exposure to greenspace is associated with wide-ranging health benefits. Meta-analyses results have shown statistically significant health-denoting associations for salivary cortisol −0.06 (95% CI −0.07, −0.04), heart rate −3.47 (95% CI −4.04, −2.90), diastolic blood pressure −1.97 (95% CI −3.45, −0.49), HDL cholesterol −0.03 (95% CI −0.05, <-0.01), and significant improvements in the HF power 91.87 (95% CI 50.92, 132.82) and LF/(LF+HF) −0.06 (95% CI −0.08, −0.03) of heart rate variability. As well as statistically significant reductions in the incidences of type II diabetes 0.72 (95% CI 0.61, 0.85), all-cause mortality 0.69 (95% CI 0.55, 0.87), cardiovascular mortality 0.84 (95% CI 0.76, 0.93), as well as pregnancy outcomes preterm birth 0.87 (95% CI 0.80, 0.94), and small size for gestational age 0.81 (95% CI 0.76, 0.86). A significant increase in incidence of reporting good health was also found 1.12 (95% CI 1.05, 1.19). Some of the meta-analyses results had high levels of heterogeneity ( Table 4 , Table 5 ), and should therefore be interpreted with caution. Included studies investigating non-pooled health outcomes also reported salutogenic associations for health outcomes such as cancer outcomes, respiratory mortality, sleep duration, various biomarkers, and neurological outcomes.

Summary meta-analysis results table: odds ratios of disease incidence difference between high and low greenspace areas.

This review has comprehensively sought out empirically-reported studies investigating the association between greenspace and a wide range of health outcomes across five databases, covering a large number of relevant international journals. It has extensively analysed 143 different studies with the combined population size of > 290 million. It has also extracted information for 24 novel meta-analyses to provide evidence of health benefits. A further major strength of this review is its inclusivity; studies were not excluded based on study design or type of greenspace, and as a result a broad range of greenspace exposures and health outcomes were identified by the 143 included studies. However, the inclusivity of this study can also be viewed as a limitation due to high heterogeneity across studies, and difficulties in comparing results from small-scale intervention studies and much larger ecological cross-sectional studies or in comparing studies that used objective measurements of greenspace with those that did not.

A number of studies reported stronger associations between greenspace exposure and self-reported health, birth outcomes and morbidity for those from low socioeconomic status (SES) groups and the most deprived areas ( Agay-Shay et al., 2014 , Dadvand et al., 2012b , Mitchell and Popham, 2008 , Roe et al., 2016 ). Similar stronger associations were reported for birth outcomes and self-reported health for those with <10 years in education. Increased neighbourhood greenness was also reported to decrease the effect of income deprivation on both all cause and cardiovascular mortality by one study ( Mitchell and Popham, 2008 ). However results by SES group were only presented by a small number of studies so it was not possible to conduct a formal subgroup analysis, or to determine if this was the case for other health outcomes. Greenspaces may form part of the arsenal for combatting health inequalities, and our findings should encourage practitioners and policymakers to give due regard to how they can create, maintain and improve existing accessible greenspaces in deprived areas. Furthermore, the development of strategies and interventions for the utilisation of such greenspaces by those of low SES status who stand to benefit the most is needed.

Whilst previous systematic reviews have examined the relationship between greenspace and specific health outcomes or behaviours, this review investigated the potential impact of greenspace on a broad range of health outcomes. Our findings are consistent with previous systematic review results that suggest that greenspace is beneficial for health. Lachowycz and Jones ( Lachowycz and Jones, 2011 ) found that 68% of papers included in their systematic review found a positive or weak association between greenspace and obesity-related health indicators, although findings were inconsistent and mixed. Thompson Coon et al. investigated the association between exercising in outdoor natural areas and health, and found physical activity in natural environments to be associated with increased energy, improved mental wellbeing and higher levels of intent in repeating the activity at a later date ( Thompson Coon JB et al., 2011 ). However, consistent with our systematic review, poor methodological quality of the available evidence and the heterogeneity of outcome measures hamper the interpretation and extrapolation of these findings ( Thompson Coon JB et al., 2011 ). Bowler et al. looked at studies comparing measurements of health in outdoor natural and synthetic environments such as indoor or outdoor built environments ( Bowler et al., 2010 ). Findings suggest that a walk or run in a natural environment may convey greater health benefits than the same activity in a synthetic environment. This is consistent with the findings of Hanson and Jones, who conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis on outdoor walking groups ( Hanson and Jones, 2015 ). Outdoor walking groups were found to significantly improve systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, body fat percentage, BMI, cholesterol, V02 max, depression and physical functioning, with no adverse side effects reported ( Hanson and Jones, 2015 ). As with Bowler’s systematic review and our findings, the evidence suggests that walking in a greenspace or natural area may offer health benefits above walking in an urban environment or on a treadmill ( Bowler et al., 2010 ). Putting aside the health benefits of physical activity, which have been widely documented ( Bize et al., 2007 , Janssen and LeBlanc, 2010 , Lawlor and Hopker, 2001 , Penedo and Dahn, 2005 , Warburton et al., 2006 ), the associations between greenspace and health found in this study suggests that “green exercise” may have additional health benefits. In combination with the findings of our systematic review, it can be seen that there is a convincing body of evidence to suggest that greenspace is beneficial for health, and also that greenspace may be currently undervalued as a resource for health. Studies consistently reported that there are several substantial gaps in knowledge remaining in this field, most commonly the mechanisms underlying the relationship between greenspace and health.

A high proportion of studies included in meta-analyses investigated Shinrin-yoku or forest-based interventions. Although 27 studies investigated the association between forest-based environments and health, only 5 looked at levels of street trees and tree canopy, with mixed results. It remains to be seen if the health benefits associated with forest bathing can be replicated in an urban environment by increasing street greenery and urban greenspace. Research in this field may inform national guidelines on the recommended number of trees necessary in urban and deprived areas to convey health benefits to the local populations.

A strength of this review is that all papers underwent rigorous critical appraisal using one of two carefully chosen tools; the Lachowycz and Jones checklist ( Lachowycz and Jones, 2011 ) for observational studies and the Hanson and Jones and Ogilvie et al. risk of bias tool ( Hanson and Jones, 2015 , Ogilvie et al., 2007 ) for intervention studies. Both tools were tailored for the purposes of this review and every study underwent quality appraisal by two reviewers, with a high level of inter-rater agreement. However, 58.3% of the observational studies and 77% of the interventional studies scored ≥9 out of 11 in their respective quality appraisal tools. This limited heterogeneity in study quality may suggest that the tools may not have been sensitive enough to capture certain aspects of quality of the studies reviewed and differentiate between studies. Sensitivity analysis was conducted using only high quality studies (studies scoring ≥9). This cut-off point was chosen priori to balance the need to retain some studies with a need to understand how sensitive the results were to the inclusion of weaker studies. A limitation of this cut off point is that it implied that all quality appraisal criteria were of equal value, which may not be the case. Results remained consistent for heart rate and systolic blood pressure, however self-reported good health had a reduced effect size and lost statistical significance, with the drop in statistical significance being possibly explained by the lower power of this sub-analysis. Furthermore, the self-reported good health meta-analysis had an I 2 of 100%, indicating a high risk of statistical heterogeneity. This result should therefore be interpreted cautiously.

A limitation of this review is that the search was restricted to manuscripts published in the English language. Furthermore, several health outcomes were only investigated in one or two studies, limiting comparability of results, for example, for respiratory mortality and various cancers. There were many differences between study populations; for example the largest and smallest study populations were >63 million ( Wheeler et al., 2015 ) and 9 participants ( Ochiai et al., 2015 ) respectively. The exclusion of mental health and communicable disease outcomes, whilst done pragmatically, is also a limitation of this review.

One key area for further research is how health professionals and policymakers might encourage patients to increase their exposure or even time spent in green spaces, and in particular to target those from lower SES areas. A number of included studies in this review reported a stronger relationship between greenspace and health outcomes for participants who were from low SES neighbourhoods, had lowest education levels, or those who were from areas with the lowest surrounding neighbourhood greenness. However, results were often not presented according to SES, meaning that formal subgroup analysis by SES level was not possible. Therefore it is not known if this may be the case for other health outcomes. Evidence has shown increased odds of higher psychosocial distress in residents of low SES areas ( Kessler, 1982 ). Our meta-analysis results suggest that greenspace exposure may reduce salivary cortisol, a physiological marker of stress. Further studies investigating greenspace and heath but with a focus on SES groups and subsequent health inequalities are required to fill this gap in the literature.

From the quality appraisal, it was evident that there were two criteria recurrently missing from both observational and intervention studies. For the 103 studies assessed using the observational study quality checklist ( Lachowycz and Jones, 2011 ) ( Table 2 ), these were “ 5. Did the green space measure include information on type of greenspace?” and “ 6. Use of greenspace was measured and included in the analysis” . For the 40 intervention studies assessed using the risk of bias tool ( Hanson and Jones, 2015 , Ogilvie et al., 2007 ) ( Table 3 ), these were “ 5. Did the authors show that there was no evidence of a concurrent intervention which could have influenced the results?” and “ 6. Were the study samples shown to be representative of the study population? ” Future research should take this into consideration, with observational studies aiming to include data on type of greenspace under investigation and the participants’ use of greenspace. Intervention studies should also aim to report on whether a concurrent intervention is in place, as well as commenting on the representativeness of the population.

Although this systematic review has uncovered a large body of research on the relationship between greenspace and health, there is a paucity of literature on the mechanisms underlying this relationship. Currently there are several suggested hypotheses. Greenspaces offer opportunities for physical activity, social cohesion, and stress reduction ( Hartig et al., 2014 ), which each carry their own numerous health benefits. Exposure to the diverse variety of bacteria present in natural areas may convey immunoregulatory benefits and reduce inflammation ( Rook, 2013 ). Much of the literature on forest bathing suggests that phytoncides (volatile organic compounds with antibacterial properties) released by trees may explain the salutogenic properties of shinrin yoku ( Li et al., 2009 , Tsunetsugu et al., 2010 ). Further research should build on the findings of this systematic review by hypothesising and testing the potential mechanisms underlying the relationship between greenspace and health. The associations between greenspace and mental health outcomes and communicable diseases, both outcomes that were not considered here, should also be explored further.

5. Conclusions

This review suggests that greenspace exposure is associated with wide ranging health benefits, with meta-analyses results showing statistically significant associations with reduced diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, salivary cortisol, incidence of type II diabetes and stroke, all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, as well as health-denoting associations with pregnancy outcomes, HRV, and HDL cholesterol, and self-reported health. However some meta-analyses results are limited by poor study quality and high levels of heterogeneity and should therefore be interpreted with caution. Increased greenspace exposure was also associated with non-pooled outcomes including neurological outcomes, respiratory mortality, and increased sleep duration. The findings of this systematic review suggest that the creation, regeneration and maintenance of accessible greenspaces and street greenery may form part of a multi-faceted approach to improve a wide range of health outcomes.

Acknowledgements

We authors thank William Jones, faculty librarian for his help with the search strategy, Dr Toby Smith, Dr Sarah Hanson, Dr David Ogilvie and Prof Lee Shepstone for their helpful advice and comments. Thank you to Dr Emma Coombes and Dr Sarah Hanson for cross-checking quality appraisal scores.

Contributors

CB and AJ designed the protocol and the search strategy which was executed by CB. CB screened the initial results and extracted data. CB led quality appraisal which was then cross-checked by AJ. CB drafted the original manuscript which was critically revised by AJ.

The work was undertaken by the Centre for Diet and Activity Research (CEDAR), a UKCRC Public Health Research Centre of Excellence. Funding from the British Heart Foundation, Cancer Research UK, Economic and Social Research Council, Medical Research Council, the National Institute for Health Research, and the Wellcome Trust, under the auspices of the UK Clinical Research Collaboration (MR/K023187/1 and MR/L501438/1), is gratefully acknowledged.

Competing interests

The authors declare they have no actual or potential competing financial interests.

Appendix A Supplementary data associated with this article can be found in the online version at doi:10.1016/j.envres.2018.06.030 .

Appendix A. Supplementary material

Supplementary material

• Open access
• Published: 03 January 2013

The great outdoors: how a green exercise environment can benefit all

• Valerie F Gladwell 1 ,
• Daniel K Brown 1 ,
• Carly Wood 1 ,
• Gavin R Sandercock 1 &
• Jo L Barton 1  

Extreme Physiology & Medicine volume  2 , Article number:  3 ( 2013 ) Cite this article

74k Accesses

169 Citations

1225 Altmetric

Metrics details

The studies of human and environment interactions usually consider the extremes of environment on individuals or how humans affect the environment. It is well known that physical activity improves both physiological and psychological well-being, but further evidence is required to ascertain how different environments influence and shape health. This review considers the declining levels of physical activity, particularly in the Western world, and how the environment may help motivate and facilitate physical activity. It also addresses the additional physiological and mental health benefits that appear to occur when exercise is performed in an outdoor environment. However, people’s connectedness to nature appears to be changing and this has important implications as to how humans are now interacting with nature. Barriers exist, and it is important that these are considered when discussing how to make exercise in the outdoors accessible and beneficial for all. The synergistic combination of exercise and exposure to nature and thus the ‘great outdoors’ could be used as a powerful tool to help fight the growing incidence of both physical inactivity and non-communicable disease.

Most discussions of human interactions with the environment concern the potential challenges they place on one another. These usually concern the extreme environmental demands such as those seen at high altitude, at depth or in extremes of temperature. Alternatively, they express the growing human population’s ongoing tendency to negatively influence the delicate balance of nature, which developed for millions of years prior to our evolutionary invasion.

With the multiplicity of the ‘great outdoors’ including forests, seaside, countryside, parks, local green areas and even gardens, another conversation considers the role of environment in benefiting human health. Green or natural spaces have been considered to be advantageous for health for many years. For example, in the UK during the 19th century Industrial Revolution, wealthy philanthropists developed urban parks for the benefit of the public’s health, and hospital gardens were considered an important addition for their believed healing properties[ 1 , 2 ]. A study in the early 21st century has further supported this belief, demonstrating an association between improved health outcomes and amount of surrounding ‘green space’[ 3 , 4 ]. Subsequently, how and why the great outdoors may elicit health benefits has become a focal point for research.

Our hunter-gatherer ancestors existed with the outdoor natural environment for thousands of years, and it is hypothesised that this provides present day humans with an innate affiliation with nature[ 5 ]. In addition, nature provides an environment that does not require our direct attention, giving nature restorative properties therefore allowing recovery from mental fatigue[ 6 ] and attention restoration[ 7 ]. Although in the Western world, less people are involved in the natural environment on a daily basis, in particular reduced numbers working on the land, many people seek out nature and undertake outdoor recreational activities. Currently, there is an increasing trend for people to undertake outdoor endurance challenges but, paradoxically, there is a greater proportion of the population with insufficient physical activity levels to meet current health guidelines[ 8 ]. Recent reviews indicate that exercising outdoors appears to be more beneficial to mental health over indoor activities[ 9 ] and furthermore, natural environments have a greater impact on psychological health especially when exercise is incorporated[ 10 ]. To describe this potential synergistic benefit to health that occurs when exercising whilst being exposed to nature, the term ‘green exercise’ was adopted in 2003[ 11 ] and published through peer-review in 2005[ 12 ].

Pretty et al.[ 11 ] demonstrated that green exercise can improve mental well-being and markers of physiological health. There is subsequent preliminary evidence at physiological[ 13 – 15 ], psychological[ 9 , 16 , 17 ], biochemical[ 18 ] and social levels[ 17 ], which suggests that green exercise might have a useful role in primary and secondary prevention of disease. Moreover, there is evidence to suggest a role for green exercise in rehabilitation programmes[ 17 ]. In addition, engaging sedentary individuals in green exercise could be an effective vehicle in driving behavioural change by improving adherence rates to exercise programmes[ 19 ]. There is still a need to investigate the mechanisms behind observed health benefits of the natural environment[ 9 , 10 ]. A greater understanding of how nature positively interacts with human socio-biology may be mutually beneficial to both health and the environment.

The focus of this paper is to identify literature regarding physiological changes which occur as a product of participating in green exercise. Additionally, the likely interaction between these physiological changes and the well-documented psychological alterations will be discussed with regard to their potential health benefits. Furthermore, the impact that the great outdoors may have on exercise adherence and motivation to exercise will be explored in the context of increasing physical activity levels. Therefore the aims of the review are the following:

Outline the declining physical activity levels in the Western world and how the ‘green’ environment may help to decrease perception of effort and improve motivation to increase physical activity levels

Discuss the impact of green exercise on physiological and psychological markers of health and whether these impacts are enhanced by the green environment

Explore the mechanisms that are attributed to green exercise for improvements to health and

Discuss the consequences of the disengagement with nature and its impact on health.

Declining physical activity levels

Worldwide, 31.1% of adults are physically inactive[ 20 ]. Some of the decline is attributed to technological advances through the agricultural and industrial revolutions, and more recently, digital revolution. The focus of much structured physical activity in the developed world has also shifted indoors to gymnasia, sports halls, and to within the home; proportionally less physical activity is undertaken outdoors. Due to rapid urbanisation and nearly half of the world’s population living in urban areas[ 21 ], less green space and quality green space is available in which undertake physical activity or sport.

Green spaces, physical activity and health

The decline in physical activity is resulting in huge increases in physical disability and disease[ 22 ] and a rising number of cases of mental ill-health[ 23 ]. It is essential, therefore, to find ways of engaging all individuals to improve health and prevent further increases in non-communicable diseases. The use of outdoor natural environments for physical activity and health is not new. For 99% of human history, not only we have lived off the land and sought nature for basic survival needs and health, but also for pleasure and physical activity. More recently climbers, hill-walkers, mountain bikers and endurance athletes have all enjoyed the great outdoors and green spaces. It may not only facilitate enjoyment for participants and improve adherence[ 19 ], but may also encourage positive physical activity behaviours which are likely to produce greater health gains. As we maybe still genetically designed to be hunter-gatherers in the great outdoors, we are not being stimulated physically or mentally in the same way and this may be detrimental to health. One hypothesis suggests that we are all born with an emotional affiliation for other living organisms, i.e. nature loving[ 5 ], which may mean as part of our genetic makeup we are innately predisposed to desire nature contact, and thus maybe green exercise should be used to facilitate physical activity to improve health.

Green exercise, perception of effort, motivation and behaviour change

Although green exercise is perceived to boost health and this can be used as a powerful extrinsic motivation for exercise, not everyone will be motivated by this. People are motivated to exercise for many different reasons[ 24 ]. Some are extrinsically driven by external factors including what others may think of them, whilst others are intrinsically driven, maybe due to the enjoyment or the excitement of the challenge. Others engage for health benefits, whereas some may take part for the social aspect. The promotion of the social and entertainment benefits of physical activity appear to be more successful than those promoting health benefits to persuade individuals to partake in physical activity[ 25 ]. Green exercise may help motivation to undertake physical activity by increasing enjoyment and escapism from everyday life, with both a social and entertainment value.

There is even some evidence to suggest that exercise may feel easier when performed in the natural environment. When allowed to self-select walking speed, participants tend actually to walk faster outdoors, compared to indoors. Paradoxically, they report a lower rating of perceived exertion[ 26 ].

When asked to reproduce a given level of perceived exertion indoors and outdoors, individuals tend to walk faster at a greater physiological effort (verified by heart rate and blood lactate), suggesting they perceive exercise to be less demanding when performed in the natural environment[ 27 ]. A recent paper by members of our research group[ 28 ] explored the impact of colour in a video which simulated cycling within a natural environment. Participants cycled for 5 min in three different conditions: an unedited video (predominantly showing green foliage), the same video but with a red filter, and the same video with no colour. Interestingly, despite the video images all being the same apart from the colour, the rate of perceived exertion was decreased in the normal image compared to the other two conditions. Furthermore, total positive mood was increased (as mentioned later in the green exercise and health section). This potentially provides support for the first time that ‘greenness’ is an important component of alterations that are seen. There were no differences in physiological markers, e.g. heart rate and oxygen consumption.

Perception of effort is highly complex, comprising multiple components[ 29 ]. Perception of effort during exercise comprises input from the brain and integration of information from the feed-forward centre. The latter, particularly, may be influenced by mood and anxiety. There is also feedback from the various different sensors within the body, including central receptors, e.g. baroreceptors, chemoreceptors, and those within the muscles, e.g. metaboreceptors and mechanoreceptors. These provide physiological and biomechanical information. Input also arises from auditory and visual information. In addition, there will also be the input of cognitive factors like prior experience at a given effort and context of the exercise, e.g. is it training or competition? All of these are integrated pre-consciously and will determine what a participant perceives the effort of exercise to be.

In the case of green exercise, the inputs from the visual system, the feed-forward centre as well as cognitive input may be able to act as a distractive stimulus, reducing the perception of exertion. Indeed this has been suggested for other distractive stimuli e.g. music[ 30 ]. It is likely that promoting attention to an external pleasant and green environment reduces awareness of physiologic sensations and negative emotions, thus minimizing the perception of effort. As discussed, mood is enhanced and perception of effort appears to be reduced with greenness[ 28 ]. Further evidence is shown, with real and simulated nature, in comparison to other environments (built or indoor) the increasing cognitive components including mood[ 9 , 10 , 12 , 16 , 31 ]. This suggests that green exercise reduces perceived effort and allows individuals to work at higher workloads, which may help to increase the amount of physical activity undertaken and motivation to continue. However, there is a dearth of studies that have investigated whether physical activity levels (duration and frequency) are altered by the exercise environment.

The restorative properties of an environment appear to mediate the frequency of physical activity[ 19 ], but most studies focus simply on the relationship between percentage of green space (usually surrounding housing) and physical activity levels. While one European study reported that individuals living in a greener environment were three times more likely to be physically active with a 40% lower chance of being overweight or obese[ 32 ], other authors have reported no association between the quantity of immediate green space and self-reported levels of physical activity[ 33 , 34 ]. The limitation of the majority of studies is the paucity of information regarding participants’ actual use of local green space, the perceived quality or even access to green space. Access to green space has been shown to be important for mental health and is associated with longevity and decreased risk of mental illness in Japan[ 35 ], Scandinavia[ 36 ] and the Netherlands[ 37 ]. Access also improves perception of general health[ 38 , 39 ] and quality of life in ageing populations[ 40 ]. The quality of the green space may also be associated with health as the biodiversity (i.e. range of species of plants and animals that are present in the environment) enhances the psychological health benefits[ 41 ].

It appears that having access to green spaces may facilitate physical activity and thus drive behaviour change by decreasing perception of effort and increasing motivation. An increase in physical activity levels will have a direct impact on health parameters. However, would green exercise offer greater benefits in terms of other markers of health than urban or indoor exercise?

Green exercise and health

A systematic review of studies comparing indoor versus outdoor activity conducted in natural environment suggests that outdoor activity which is conducted in a natural or green environment causes greater feelings of revitalisation and positive engagement[ 9 ]. All types of green exercise activities also improve self-esteem and negative mood subscales, such as tension, anger and depression[ 42 , 43 ]. Interestingly, the first five minutes of green exercise appears to have the biggest impact on mood and self-esteem, suggesting an immediate psychological health benefit[ 16 ]. Participating in green exercise activities also affects physiological parameters which differ to the changes observed in matched activity in an urban environment[ 13 ]. There are, however, only a handful of studies that have been conducted to investigate physiological health markers[ 13 , 14 , 18 , 44 , 45 ]. Physiological outcomes have included heart rate, blood pressure and autonomic control (using heart rate variability) and endocrine markers including noradrenaline, adrenaline and cortisol (an objective measure of stress).

Post-exercise blood pressure returns to baseline values more quickly after exercising in front of rural scenes compared to urban settings[ 12 ]. Japanese studies monitoring the physiological effect of walking within real forest environments (Shinrin-Yoku or forest bathing) reported similar findings. Significantly lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure occurred following both viewing alone and walking in the forest environment when compared to the same activity in an urban environment distinctly lacking in any vegetation or plantation[ 13 , 46 , 47 ]. A reduction in sympathetic activation assessed by lowered urinary noradrenaline may have elicited these effects on blood pressure[ 46 ]. Early work by Ulrich[ 48 ] suggested exposure to nature-heightened arousal and attention capacity with observed increases in heart rate. However, viewing scenes of nature following exposure to a stressful video[ 49 ] later confirmed that increases in parasympathetic activity occur more synonymous with lowered heart rate. In addition, heart rate variability (HRV), an indicator of autonomic function, increased following both viewing and walking in a forest environment[ 50 ]. High HRV suggests healthy autonomic nervous system function and is inversely correlated with cardiovascular disease risk. HRV gives an indication of the adaptability of the nervous system in responding to challenges experienced by an individual such as stress and exercise. Using HRV analysis, a study from Japan[ 47 ] showed a tendency for a higher HRV, reflective of parasympathetic activity, whilst participants sat outside within a forest environment. This effect has been repeated indoors in a controlled environment enabling viewing nature alone to be highlighted as a cause for increased parasympathetic activity[ 14 ] and decreased heart rate[ 45 ].

Increasing the level of psychological stress is detrimental to health, and with stress reportedly increasing[ 51 ], methods to help to cope with stress are required. Nature may be one such solution as it does also appear to reduce stress markers. Endocrine markers adrenaline, noradrenaline and the stress hormone cortisol, all fall after being within nature, suggesting that exposure to nature affects the two main stress systems, the sympatho-adrenal medullary and the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis[ 13 , 52 ]. These studies suggest that exposure to forest environments is relaxing and has stress-reducing properties as observed by reductions in the physiological parameters of blood pressure, heart rate (accompanied by an increase in HRV) and endocrine markers. A further effect associated with the reduction in adrenaline is the improved immune function in the form of increased natural killer cell activity. Natural killer cell activity increased for up to 30 days after a three-day trip to a forest for males but only seven days for females[ 52 ]. This suggests that the interaction with nature does not have to be extreme to gain wide-ranging physiological health benefits.

Connectedness to nature

Parental physical activity behaviours influence not only children’s physical activity patterns but also their attitudes to physical activity and choice of exercise environment. If children engage less with nature, when they become parents their offspring may also be less likely to seek out nature. A cycle of unfamiliarity and disconnectedness is then likely to be passed from generation to generation. The human costs of this separation include attention difficulties and behavioural problems, higher rates of emotional and physical illness and diminished use of the senses[ 53 , 54 ].

Despite evidence suggesting that natural environments facilitate physical activity and provide health benefits[ 10 ], relatedness and/or connectedness to nature is declining in particular areas and parts of the world, especially in children and adolescents. This is primarily due to a lack of contact with nature, termed ‘the extinction of experience’[ 55 ] or ‘nature deficit disorder’[ 53 ]. The current generation of youth is largely restricted from accessing nature due to parental fears regarding strangers, traffic and criminal activity[ 56 – 58 ]. Only 10% of today’s generation of youth has regular access to nature, compared to the 40% of adults who did so when they were young[ 59 ]. Adolescents living in urbanised areas often perceive the countryside to be intimidating and are reluctant to visit if they have not experienced it as children. The amount of time spent outdoors does appear to be a positive correlate of physical activity in both children and adolescents[ 60 – 62 ]. Although small amounts of time are spent in green space in children, those who do tend to undertake higher intensity activity[ 63 ]. However, if generations become disengaged with nature and less importance is placed on the environment as a useful resource for health, the distance to travel to get to the green spaces will increase.

The purpose of this review was to identify and discuss how the great outdoors can benefit the general population. With declining physical activity levels in the developed world, initiatives to curb this downward trend are increasingly important. The great outdoors has been a crucial part of human evolution, and it is likely that this reaches into modern beliefs and attitudes towards nature, both conscious and unconscious[ 5 ]. There is evidence to suggest that participating in physical activity in a natural environment, or green exercise, might engage people in physical activity by increasing enjoyment of participation, offering social interaction and increased frequency of activity[ 19 ]. Interestingly, participating in green exercise activities alters the perception of effort. For those people engaging in green exercise, the nature element may help achieve a greater intensity of exercise without perception of effort changing. If a person perceives exercise to be easier, it has the potential to be more enjoyable. By reducing the perceived effort experienced during green exercise, a greater intensity may be achieved during the exercise whilst also maintaining adherence to and motivation for the activity. Taken all together, this should help to improve physical activity behaviour. Future studies need to explore the impact of the environment on perception of effort in greater depth, incorporating input from other senses. Furthermore, it needs to examine to what intensity of exercise nature may act as a distracter to perception of effort.

It has been the purpose of previous reviews to assess the role of nature from a health and well-being perspective. There is evidence linking the presence of surrounding green spaces to better physical and mental health. This evidence suggests that better health is impacted by the quality of green space, in particular, by levels of biodiversity. Further research should investigate the importance of biodiversity on health for the careful management of these areas to ensure the maximum benefit for health and for the environment. Considering both the quality of, and access to, green space, evidence for the impact on physical activity is conflicting. Many studies have not explored the use of more distant outdoor spaces for recreational use. The majority of studies use self-reported details of physical activity type, duration and intensity, which is subject to bias. Future studies should therefore use objective methods for assessing both physical activity and exercise environment. Accelerometry and Global Positioning System monitoring including Smartphones should enable this[ 63 ].

Engaging in physical activity outdoors provides opportunities linked to better health which is unavailable from indoor activity, such as exposure to sunlight for sufficient vitamin D levels. Additionally, outdoor activity shows greater improvements in mental health compared to indoor activity[ 9 ]. Building on the health benefits of outdoor activity, including exposure to nature during outdoor activity, has a synergistic impact on markers of mental well-being and physiological markers[ 10 ]. The study to date has identified changes in cardiovascular, endocrine and autonomic function which suggests a psychophysiological impact of nature and green exercise. However, little has been done to identify the mechanisms by which these changes are influenced by experiencing nature. Although seemingly counterintuitive for the purpose of research concerning the great outdoors, the use of controlled indoor environments is important for exploring the alteration of physiological parameters already observed. This will have important implications for using outdoor exercise for rehabilitation or prevention of disease, especially cardiovascular disease.

There are however, disadvantages and barriers to using the great outdoors. How the outdoor space is perceived influences usage. Although individual preferences differ, safety and opportunity for socialization are shown to be the key determinants for use of green spaces[ 64 ]. Ease of access, including transportation to the place of interest, suitable links between areas (i.e. footpaths not continuing without crossing/walking down busy roads/private land) all affect participation. Furthermore, socioeconomic status also alters local green space usage for physical activity. Higher socioeconomic status enhances park safety, maintenance, attractiveness and opportunity for socialization and is an important determinant of access to more remote nature (i.e. due to transport required to reach destination). Concerns for personal safety will motivate people to avoid perceived dangerous situations, and going outdoors in some areas does pose a threat. This is influencing parental choices, and there is a growing disconnection with outdoor activity and more specifically nature in the new generation of children. Also, neighbourhood crime safety, aesthetics, and traffic safety all influence participation levels. Safety concerns are also accentuated if the area is remote, where injuries or exposure to the outdoors for a prolonged period of time, especially in extremes of weather may occur. This is predominantly an issue for those individuals who are unprepared, not trained or not supervised correctly.

Conclusions

To summarise, outdoor natural environments may provide some of the best all-round health benefits by increasing physical activity levels with lower levels of perceived exertion, altering physiological functioning including stress reduction, restoring mental fatigue, and improving mood and self-esteem and perceived health. Thus, exercise within green spaces and the great outdoors may be a useful natural medicine ( vis medicatrix naturae )[ 65 ] to address health challenges facing developed countries. Alongside the social aspect which some individuals crave, it may also increase enjoyment and adherence to bring about positive behaviour changes in a large proportion of the population.

The great outdoors, therefore, should not be just considered a playground for those who seek the thrills of extreme sports, but emphasis should be placed on access for all. One way of doing this is to ensure urban parks are maintained and are developed to produce interesting areas of high biodiversity, as well as more open play areas, where more sports may be played, increasing opportunities for exercise. Not only may both types of area elicit greater health benefits, but also may offer protection for the natural environment and preserve species. The management of countryside, forests and more extreme environments also needs careful consideration including ensuring access for all, but without the pressure of too many people visiting these areas, as this would potentially destroy the natural environment that elicits these health benefits. The challenge for researchers in this field is not only determining whether knowledge of nature’s health benefits can act as a motivator for behaviour change, but also ensuring that the increased use of ‘nature as a therapy’ is accompanied by a conservationist approach to ensure preservation of the environment. It is hoped that by more individuals partaking in green exercise and enjoying the great outdoors, they will retain their evolutionary connection with nature and act to become more protective of it.

Abbreviations

Heart rate variability.

Hartig T, Cooper Marcus C: Healing gardens - places for nature in health care. Lancet. 2006, 368: S36-S37.

Article   Google Scholar  

Horowitz S: Therapeutic gardens and horticultural therapy: growing roles in health care. Altern Comp Ther. 2012, 18 (2): 78-83.

Maas J, Verheij RA, Groenewegen PP, de Vries S, Spreeuwenberg S: Green space, urbanity, and health: how strong is the relation?. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2006, 60 (7): 587-592.

Article   PubMed Central   PubMed   Google Scholar  

Maas J, Verheij RA, de Vries S, Spreeuwenberg P, Schellevis FG, Groenewegen PP: Morbidity is related to a green living environment. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2009, 10.1136/jech.2008.079038.

Google Scholar  

Wilson EO: Biophilia: The Human Bond with other Species. 1984, Cambridge, Masschusetts: Harvard University Press

Herzog T, Maguire C, Nebel M: Assessing the restorative components of environments. J Environ Psychol. 2003, 23 (2): 159-170.

Kaplan R, Kaplan S: The Experience of Nature: A Psychological Perspective. 1989, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

Townsend N, Bhatnagar P, Wickramasinghe K, Scarborough P, Foster C, Rayner M: Physical Activity Statistics 2012. 2012, London: British Heart Foundation

Thompson Coon J, Boddy K, Stein K, Whear R, Barton J, Depledge MH: Does participating in physical activity in outdoor natural environments have a greater effect on physical and mental wellbeing than physical activity indoors? A systematic review. Environ Sci Technol. 2011, 45 (5): 1761-1772.

Article   CAS   PubMed   Google Scholar  

Bowler DE, Buyung-Ali LM, Knight TM, Pullin AS: A systematic review of evidence for the added benefits to health of exposure to natural environments. BMC Publ Health. 2010, 10: 456-

Pretty J, Griffin M, Sellens M, Pretty C: Green Exercise: Complementary Roles of Nature, Exercise and Diet in Physical and Emotional Well-Being and Implications for Public Health Policy. CES Occasional Paper 2003–1, Colchester: University of Essex

Pretty J, Peacock J, Sellens M, Griffin M: The mental and physical health outcomes of green exercise. Int J Environ Heal Res. 2005, 15 (5): 319-337.

Park B, Tsunetsugu Y, Kasetani T, Kagawa T, Miyazaki Y: The physiological effects of Shinrin-yoku (taking in the forest atmosphere or forest bathing): evidence from field experiments in 24 forests across Japan. Environ Health Prev Med. 2010, 15 (1): 18-26.

Gladwell VF, Brown DK, Barton JL, Tarvainen MP, Kuoppa P, Pretty J, Suddaby JM, Sandercock GR: The effects of views of nature on autonomic control. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2012, 11: 1-8.

Ward Thompson C, Roe J, Aspinall P, Mitchell R, Clow A, Miller D: More green space is linked to less stress in deprived communities: evidence from salivary cortisol patterns. Landscape Urban Plan. 2012, 105 (3): 221-229.

Barton J, Pretty J: What is the best dose of nature and green exercise for improving mental health? A multi-study analysis. Environ Sci Technol. 2010, 44 (10): 3947-3955.

Barton J, Griffin M, Pretty J: Exercise, nature and socially interactive based initiatives improve mood and self-esteem in the clinical population. Perspect Public Health. 2012, 132 (2): 89-96.

Article   PubMed   Google Scholar  

Li Q, Otsuka T, Kobayashi M, Wakayama Y, Inagaki H, Katsumata M, Hirata Y, Li Y, Hirata K, Shimizu T, Suzuki H, Kawada T, Kagawa T: Acute effects of walking in forest environments on cardiovascular and metabolic parameters. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2011, 111 (11): 2845-2853.

Hug SM, Hartig T, Hansmann R, Seeland K, Hornung R: Restorative qualities of indoor and outdoor exercise settings as predictors of exercise frequency. Health Place. 2009, 15 (4): 971-980.

Hallal PC, Andersen LR, Bull FC, Guthold R, Haskell W, Ekelund U: Global physical activity levels: surveillance progress, pitfalls, and prospects. Lancet. 2012, 380 (9838): 247-257.

United Nations: Population Division. 2005, New York: Population Division, United Nations

O’Keefe JH, Vogel R, Lavie CJ, Cordain L: Achieving hunter-gatherer fitness in the 21st century: back to the future. Am J Med. 2010, 123 (12): 1082-1086.

Harvey SB, Hotopf M, Overland S, Mykletun A: Physical activity and common mental disorders. Br J Psychiatry. 2010, 197 (5): 357-364.

Ryan RM, Deci EL: Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. Am Psychol. 2000, 55: 68-78.

Schasberger M, Hussa CS, Polgar MF, McMonagle JA, Burke SJ, Gegaris AJ: Promoting and developing a trail network across suburban, rural, and urban communities. Am J Prev Med. 2009, 37 (6): S336-S344.

Focht BC: Brief walks in outdoor and laboratory environments: effects on affective responses, enjoyment, and intentions to walk for exercise. Res Q Exercise Sport. 2009, 80 (3): 611-620.

Ceci R, Hassmen P: Self-monitored exercise at three different RPE intensities in treadmill vs field running. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1991, 23 (6): 732-738.

Akers A, Barton J, Cossey R, Gainsford P, Griffin M, Micklewright D: Visual color perception in green exercise: positive effects on mood and perceived exertion. Environ Sci Technol. 2012, 46 (16): 8661-8666.

Hampson DB, St Clair Gibson A, Lambert MI, Noakes TD: The influence of sensory cues on the perception of exertion during exercise and central regulation of exercise performance. Sports Med. 2001, 31 (13): 935-952.

Boutcher SH, Trenske M: The effects of sensory deprivation and music on perceived exertion and affect during exercise. J Sport Exercise Psy. 1990, 12: 167-176.

Peacock J, Hine R, Pretty J: The Mental Health Benefits of Green Exercise Activities and Green Care. 2007, February: Mind Week Report

Ellaway A, Macintyre S, Bonnefoy X: Graffiti, greenery and obesity in adults: secondary analysis of European cross-sectional survey. Brit Med J. 2005, 10.1136/bmj.38575.664549.F7.

Hillsdon M, Panter J, Foster C, Jones A: The relationship between access and quality of urban green space with population physical activity. Public Health. 2006, 120 (12): 1127-1132.

Maas J, Verheij RA, Spreeuwenberg P, Groenewegen PP: Physical activity as a possible mechanism behind the relationship between green space and health: a multilevel analysis. BMC Pub Health. 2008, 8: 206-219.

Takano T, Nakamura K, Watanabe M: Urban residential environments and senior citizens’ longevity in megacity areas: the importance of walkable green spaces. J Epidemiol Commun H. 2002, 56: 913-918.

Article   CAS   Google Scholar  

Grahn P, Stigsdotter UA: Landscape planning and stress. Urban Forest Urban Green. 2003, 2: 1-18.

De Vries S, Verheij RA, Groenewegen PP, Spreeuwenberg P: Natural environments - healthy environments? An exploratory analysis of the relationship between greenspace and health. Environment Plann A. 2003, 35 (10): 1717-1731.

Maas J, van Dillen SM, Verheij RA, Groenewegen PP: Social contacts as a possible mechanism behind the relation betwen green space and health. Health Place. 2009, 15: 586-595.

Mitchell R, Popham F: Greenspace, urbanity and health: relationships in England. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2007, 61: 681-683.

Sugiyama T, E Leslie E, Giles-Corti B, Owen N: Associations of neighbourhood greenness with physical and mental health: do walking, social coherence and local social interaction explain the relationships?. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2008, 62 (5): e9-

Fuller RA, Irvine KN, Devine-Wright P, Warren PH, Gaston KJ: Psychological benefits of greenspace increase with biodiversity. Biol Lett. 2007, 3: 390-394.

Barton J, Hine R, Pretty J: The health benefits of walking in greenspaces of high natural and heritage value. J Integr Environ Sci. 2009, 6 (4): 261-278.

Pretty J, Peacock J, Hine R, Sellens M, South M, Griffin M: Green exercise in the UK countryside: effects on health and psychological well-being and implications for policy and planning. J Environ Plan Manag. 2007, 50 (2): 211-231.

Ulrich RS: Natural versus urban scenes some psychophysiological effects. Environment and Behaviour. 1981, 13 (5): 523-556.

Laumann K, Garling T, Stormark K: Selective attention and heart rate responses to natural and urban environments. J Environ Psychol. 2003, 23: 125-134.

Li Q, Otsuka T, Kobayashi M, Wakayama Y, Inagaki H, Katsumata M, Hirata Y, Li Y, Hirata K, Shimizu T, Suzuki H, Kawada T, Kagawa T: Acute effects of walking in forest environments on cardiovascular and metabolic parameters. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2011, 10.1007/s00421-011-1918-z.

Park B, Tsunetsugu Y, Kasetani T, Hirano H, Kagawa T, Sato M, Miyazaki Y: Physiological effects of Shinrin-yoku (taking in the atmosphere of the forest)—using salivary cortisol and cerebral activity as indicators. J Physiol Anthropol. 2007, 26 (2): 123-128.

Ulrich RS: Natural versus urban scenes: some psychophysiological effects. Journal of Environment and Behaviour. 1981, 13 (5): 523-556.

Ulrich RS, Simons RF, Losito BD, Fiorito E, Miles MA, Zelson M: Stress recovery during exposure to natural and urban environments. J Environ Psychol. 1991, 11 (3): 201-230.

Park B, Tsunetsugu Y, Kasetani T, Morikawa T, Kagawa T, Miyazaki Y: Physiological effects of forest recreation in a young conifer forest in Hinokage Town, Japan. Silva Fennica. 2009, 43 (2): 291-301.

Chandola T, Britton A, Brunner E, Hemingway H, Malik M, Kumari M, Badrick E, Kivimaki M, Marmot M: Work stress and coronary heart disease: what are the mechanisms?. Eur Hear J. 2008, 29: 640-648.

Li Q: Effect of forest bathing trips on human immune function. Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine. 2010, 15: 9-17.

Article   PubMed Central   CAS   PubMed   Google Scholar  

Louv R: Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder. 2005, North Carolina: Algonquin

RSPB: Every Child Outdoors: Children Need Nature. Nature Needs Children. 2010, Bedfordshire: RSPB

Pyle RM: Nature matrix: reconnecting people and nature. Oryx. 2003, 37 (02): 206-214.

Orr D: Political economy and the ecology of childhood. Children and Nature: Psychological, Sociocultural and Evolutionary Investigations. Edited by: Kahn P, Kellert S. 2000, Massachusetts: The MIT Press, 279-303.

White R: Young Children’s Relationship with Nature: It’s Importance to Children’s Development and the Earth’s Future. 2004, Kansas: White Hutchinson Leisure and Learning Group

Ward Thompson C, Aspinall P, Montarzino A: The childhood factor: adult visits to green places and the significance of childhood experience. Environ Behav. 2008, 40 (1): 111-143.

England N: Childhood and Nature: A Survey on Changing Relationships with Nature Across Generations. 2009, Cambridgeshire: Natural England

Sallis JF, Prochaska JJ, Taylor WC: A review of correlates of physical activity of children and adolescents. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2000, 32 (5): 963-975.

Gordon-Larsen P, McMurray RG, Popkin BM: Determinants of adolescent physical activity and inactivity patterns. Pediatrics. 2000, 105 (6): e83-e90.

Cleland V, Crawford D, Baur LA, Hume C, Timperio A, Salmon J: A prospective examination of children’s time spent outdoors, objectively measured physical activity and overweight. Int J Obes. 2008, 32 (11): 1685-1693.

Wheeler BW, Cooper AR, Page AS, Jago R: Greenspace and children’s physical activity: a GPS/GIS analysis of the PEACH project. Prev Med. 2010, 51 (2): 148-152.

Leslie E, Cerin E, Kremer P: Perceived neighborhood environment and park use as mediators of the effect of area socio-economic status on walking behaviors. J Phys Act Heal. 2010, 7: 802-810.

Logan AC, Selhub EM: Vis Medicatrix naturae: does nature ‘minister to the mind’?. Biopsychosoc Med. 2012, 6 (1): 11-

Download references

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

School of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, CO4 3SQ, UK

Valerie F Gladwell, Daniel K Brown, Carly Wood, Gavin R Sandercock & Jo L Barton

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Valerie F Gladwell .

Additional information

Competing interests.

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Authors’ contributions

All authors helped plan, develop and write the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Rights and permissions

This article is published under license to BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0 ), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article.

Gladwell, V.F., Brown, D.K., Wood, C. et al. The great outdoors: how a green exercise environment can benefit all. Extrem Physiol Med 2 , 3 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1186/2046-7648-2-3

Download citation

Received : 29 July 2012

Accepted : 02 November 2012

Published : 03 January 2013

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1186/2046-7648-2-3

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• Green exercise
• Natural environment
• Physical activity

Extreme Physiology & Medicine

ISSN: 2046-7648

• General enquiries: [email protected]

• Exercise & Fitness
• Why Walking Isn’t Enough When It Comes to Exercise

W alking is often thought of as a mere mode of transportation: a way to get from point A to point B. Few of us consider the fact that it’s one of the most fundamental, accessible physical activities a person can do.

What’s so great about walking? 

Walking might not be as impressive as holding a plank or doing mountain climbers, but “it’s considered a bodyweight exercise, because your large muscle groups are working to move the weight of your body,” says Dr. Marie Kanagie-McAleese, a pediatric hospitalist at University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health and the leader of the Bel Air, Md. chapter of Walk With a Doc .

As you walk, “your quadriceps, hamstrings, calves—even your abdominals, biceps, and shoulders—are all using oxygen to contract,” says Ali Ball, an exercise physiologist and outpatient cardiac rehab/wellness coordinator at OSF HealthCare in Urbana, Ill. That also makes walking a form of aerobic exercise, she adds, which means it keeps your heart rate elevated for a sustained amount of time. One study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that 15 minutes of walking was as beneficial as five minutes of running.

From a physiological perspective, that’s a one-two punch of health benefits.

“First, walking improves the health of our cardiovascular system,” says McAleese. “With improved oxygen delivery to our organs, we see a decrease in the risk of heart disease, stroke, obesity, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.” 

Read More : Your Brain Doesn't Want You to Exercise

Research bears this out. In a 2021 study published in JAMA Network Open , people who logged at least 7,000 steps per day had a 50 to 70%lower risk of early death, compared to those who walked less than 7,000 steps per day. Meanwhile, a 2023 meta-analysis published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine concluded that doing moderate-intensity physical activity—like brisk walking—for just 11 minutes a day is enough to lower the risk of diseases such as heart disease, stroke, and a number of cancers.

Plus, it’s the easiest way to counter the risk of a sedentary lifestyle, says McAleese. “Walking more throughout the entire day, even if you’re not doing it at a moderate-intensity level, is critically important,” since sitting too much increases the risk of getting—and dying from—many chronic diseases.

But is just walking enough exercise? 

It can’t do everything. Federal physical-activity guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of aerobic physical activity a week, plus two or more sessions of muscle-strengthening activities involving all major muscle groups per week. Both types of physical activity have to be of at least moderate intensity. 

With a few tweaks, your walk can fulfill the first aerobic category. “Most people just don’t do it hard enough because they don’t think about it as exercise,” says Ball. If you’re used to a casual stroll, it’s easy to increase your intensity and get into that moderate range: You can increase the pace, walk on an incline, walk on a different terrain, or add weight via a vest or pack.

Read More : Forget 10,000 Steps. Here’s How Much Science Says You Actually Need to Walk

Not so much for the second category. “Walking does provide a low level of bodyweight exercise, but there are a lot of other muscle groups that we’re not really exercising when walking,” says McAleese. Strength training comes with a lot of additional health benefits , like lowering your risk of injury and improving mobility and flexibility .

How to make your walk count as a workout 

Wearable devices have made mainstream the idea that everyone needs to hit 10,000 steps per day, but “that’s an arbitrary number not based in science ,” says McAleese. A more important metric than steps, she says, is time. When it comes to the recommended 150 weekly minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity, “you can break that up however works for you,” she explains. “If you can only fit in 10 minutes here and 10 minutes there, it all counts .”

For walking to really qualify as “moderate-intensity” exercise, you need to be moving a little more intentionally than you would during a casual stroll from one meeting to the next. The guidelines consider walking briskly—where you could walk a mile in 15 to 24 minutes—to be moderate-intensity physical activity. That’s a purposeful, I-have-somewhere-to-be pace.

The best way to tell if you’re in that moderate-intensity range is the talk test. “If you’re able to speak in complete sentences and can carry on a conversation—but if you were to try to sing, you would become out of breath—that counts as moderate-intensity aerobic exercise,” says McAleese.

Read More : I Used ChatGPT as My Personal Trainer. It Didn’t Go Well

You can also check your heart rate. An approximate (but easy-to-remember) way to find your maximum heart rate is to subtract your age from the number 220, says Ball. During moderate-intensity exercise, your heart rate should be at about 50 to 70% of that maximum heart rate, according to the American Heart Association .

And to make sure you're getting the most out of this type of physical activity, you also need to think about your form. (Yes, there’s proper form for walking.) “Focus on staying upright and keeping your abdominals engaged,” says Ball. Squeeze your butt, and let your arms swing naturally rather than exaggeratedly pumping them. Leaning forward, especially if you increase your intensity, can cause back pain.

For many people, embracing walking as exercise might just require a slight shift in perspective. “We focus a lot on scheduling exercise as a very specific activity that happens at a certain place at a certain time during our day,” says McAleese. “But we really should be expanding our definition of exercise to include all levels and amounts of physical activity that we perform throughout the entire day.” 

More Must-Reads From TIME

• Jane Fonda Champions Climate Action for Every Generation
• Passengers Are Flying up to 30 Hours to See Four Minutes of the Eclipse
• Biden’s Campaign Is In Trouble. Will the Turnaround Plan Work?
• Essay: The Complicated Dread of Early Spring
• The Financial Influencers Women Actually Want to Listen To
• The Best TV Shows to Watch on Peacock
• Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time

Contact us at [email protected]

You May Also Like

Essay on Benefits of Exercise

Students are often asked to write an essay on Benefits of Exercise in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Benefits of Exercise

Introduction.

Exercise is a vital part of our daily routine. It helps in maintaining our health, improving our mood, and enhancing our overall well-being.

Physical Health

Exercise strengthens our heart and lungs, reducing the risk of diseases. It helps in maintaining a healthy weight and promotes better sleep.

Mental Health

Regular exercise releases endorphins, chemicals that make us feel happier and relaxed. It also boosts our self-esteem and improves concentration.

In conclusion, exercise benefits us in many ways. It’s an excellent tool to stay healthy, happy, and focused. Therefore, we should include it in our daily routine.

250 Words Essay on Benefits of Exercise

Exercise, often underrated, is a potent tool for enhancing physical and mental health. It is a universal remedy that offers numerous benefits, transcending age, gender, and physical ability.

Physical Health Benefits

Exercise primarily enhances physical wellbeing. Regular physical activity strengthens the cardiovascular system, reducing the risk of heart diseases. It aids in maintaining a healthy weight, thus preventing obesity-related illnesses. Moreover, exercise improves bone density, reducing the risk of osteoporosis, and enhances muscular strength and flexibility, thereby preventing injuries.

Mental Health Benefits

Beyond physical health, exercise significantly contributes to mental wellbeing. It stimulates the production of endorphins, the body’s natural mood elevators, leading to reduced stress levels and increased happiness. Regular exercise can also alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety, enhancing overall mental health.

Cognitive Benefits

Exercise also plays a crucial role in cognitive function. It promotes better sleep, aids in maintaining focus, and improves memory. Studies suggest that regular physical activity can delay the onset of cognitive decline in later years, reinforcing its long-term benefits.

In conclusion, the benefits of exercise are manifold, spanning physical, mental, and cognitive domains. It is a cost-effective, accessible strategy to enhance overall health and wellbeing. As college students, embracing exercise as a regular habit can significantly contribute to academic success and lifelong health. The adage, “A healthy mind in a healthy body,” indeed holds.

500 Words Essay on Benefits of Exercise

Exercise, often regarded as a panacea for numerous health-related issues, has been a subject of extensive research over the years. It is a powerful tool that aids in the enhancement of both physical and mental well-being. This essay aims to explore the multifaceted benefits of exercise, ranging from improved physical health to enhanced cognitive abilities.

The first and most apparent advantage of exercise is its profound impact on physical health. Regular physical activity strengthens the cardiovascular system, reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke. Exercise aids in the regulation of blood pressure and cholesterol levels, two significant risk factors for these conditions.

In addition to cardiovascular health, exercise contributes to better respiratory health by enhancing lung capacity and efficiency. It also plays a crucial role in weight management, as it helps burn calories, preventing obesity and associated diseases like diabetes and certain types of cancer.

The benefits of exercise are not limited to physical health; they also extend to mental well-being. Regular physical activity has been shown to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. It stimulates the production of endorphins, often referred to as ‘feel-good’ hormones, which elevate mood and promote a sense of well-being.

Exercise also aids in stress management. Engaging in physical activity diverts the mind from stressors, providing a respite from negative thoughts. Furthermore, the accomplishment of fitness goals often boosts self-esteem and confidence.

Recent research has unveiled the cognitive benefits of regular exercise. It has been found to enhance memory and thinking skills. Exercise promotes the growth of new brain cells and improves connections between neurons, leading to better brain health. It can also slow down the cognitive decline associated with aging, thereby reducing the risk of diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Social Benefits

Exercise often serves as a social activity, providing opportunities to meet new people and strengthen relationships. Participating in group exercises or sports can foster a sense of community and belonging, which is crucial for emotional well-being. Moreover, it can also enhance teamwork and leadership skills, which are invaluable in various aspects of life.

In conclusion, the benefits of exercise are manifold, ranging from physical health improvements to mental and cognitive enhancements. It is a cost-effective and accessible method to maintain overall health and improve quality of life. As college students, integrating regular physical activity into our routine can provide us with the stamina to deal with academic pressures and equip us with skills that are beneficial in the long run. Therefore, exercise is not just about maintaining physical fitness; it is a comprehensive approach to holistic well-being.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

• Essay on Being a Child
• Essay on Being the Oldest Sibling
• Essay on Mountain Climbing

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

Happy studying!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Physical, Social, Emotional and Intellectual Benefits of Outdoor Recreation

Outdoor recreation is enjoyable for men, women and children of all ages. Performing physical exercise while outdoors provides a way to get outside and enjoy your natural surroundings. Aside from breathing fresh air and discovering nature's many wonders, the outdoors provides various activities to keep you wanting to go back outside for more.

Advertisement

The advantages of outdoor activities are endless and will help keep you and your family physically and mentally healthy.

Video of the Day

Read more: Why Spending More Time Outside Could Save Your Life

Outdoor Workouts and Fitness

Outdoor recreation provides a multitude of advantageous physical activities that may be performed in solitude, with several friends and family members, or with your local recreational sports team . Sports such as hiking, canoeing, swimming, racket and ball sports and numerous other physical activities give you more choices for enjoyable exercise, which is likely to keep you motivated.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that adults perform at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of intense activity every week, ideally spread out over the course of the week rather than all at once.

Read more: What Are the Benefits of Morning Walking?

Social Benefits of Outdoor Activities

Adults and children alike can experience the social benefits of outdoor activities. Participating in sports and recreation provides everyone from young kids to seniors with an opportunity to meet and build relationships with others. Participating on a team will help you to form lasting friendships with people who share your passion for outdoor recreation.

Mental Benefits of Outdoor Activities

Harvard Health Publishing notes that physical activity helps reduce stress and prevents some cases of depression. Exercise reduces anxiety, and consistent activity provides more relief for anxiety and depression.

Better self-esteem often results from consistent recreation, partially due to a decrease in stress and to the overall feeling of well-being that occurs from regular aerobic exercise . Breathing fresh air in a natural, serene environment also helps many people to relax and reduce stress and anxiety, which is another advantage of outdoor activities.

A 2015 paper published in the journal _ Cognitive Behavioral Therapy _explained that exercise is a good treatment for mental health because it does not come with side effects, as medication can, and also does not carry the stigma that attending therapy or taking medication still does in many communities.

According to the paper's authors, exercise as a standalone treatment or augmenting other forms of mental health treatment can help people dealing with anxiety, major depressive disorder, panic disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

While you should not attempt to treat serious mental illness on your own, if you are anxious or have a mental illness it may be worth speaking to your doctor about exercising as part of your recommended treatment plan.

Read more: How Exercise Improves Mood

Sleep Benefits of Outdoor Activities

Research shows that people who exercise regularly experience longer, deeper, more restful sleep . Better sleep results in more energy and alertness the following day, allowing better concentration and ability to think on higher levels.

Along with better rest and rejuvenation for your body during the night, regular physical activity that reduces stress, anxiety and symptoms of depression will help you to concentrate more during the day.

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: "Physical Activity for Everyone: How Much Physical Activity Do Adults Need?"
• American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine: "The Bidirectional Relationship Between Exercise and Sleep: Implications for Exercise Adherence and Sleep Improvement"
• Harvard Health Publishing: "Exercising to Relax"
• Eastern Kentucky University: "Self-Esteem, Empowerment and Recreation: A Meta-Analysis of Outdoor Recreation on Adolescent Females"
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: "Exercise for Mood and Anxiety Disorders: The State-of-the Science"

Report an Issue

Screenshot loading...

Benefits of outdoor exercise confirmed

A systematic review carried out by a team at the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry has analysed existing studies and concluded that there are benefits to mental and physical well-being from taking exercise in the natural environment. Their findings are published in the research journal Environmental Science and Technology on February 4th 2011.

The research team, supported by the NIHR Peninsula Collaboration in Leadership for Applied Health Research and Care (PenCLAHRC, part of the NIHR family of health and research initiatives) in collaboration with the European Centre for the Environment and Human Health (ECEHH), analysed data from a number of sources including 11 randomised and non-randomised control trials incorporating information from 833 adults.

Eligible trials were those that compared the effects of outdoor exercise initiatives with those conducted indoors and which reported at least one physical or mental well-being outcome in adults or children.

The study found that most trials showed an improvement in mental well-being: compared with exercising indoors, exercising in natural environments was associated with greater feelings of revitalisation, increased energy and positive engagement, together with decreases in tension, confusion, anger and depression. Participants also reported greater enjoyment and satisfaction with outdoor activity and stated that they were more likely to repeat the activity at a later date.

However, none of the identified studies measured the effects of physical activity on physical well-being, or the effect of natural environments on sticking to exercise.

On balance this review has identified some promising effects on self-reported mental well-being immediately following exercise in the natural environment, as opposed to those reported following exercise indoors. This is a first step towards vindicating the positive effects of programmes such as the Green Gym and Blue Gym, and innovative interventions by medical practitioners that include exercise outdoors as part of holistic treatments for those suffering from depression and similar psychological ailments.

At present research analysts are working with a paucity of high quality evidence, and one significant outcome from this study is the urgent need for there to be further research in this area. Large, well-designed longer-term trials in populations who might benefit most from the potential advantages of outdoor exercise are needed to fully analyse the effects of outdoor exercise on mental and physical well-being. Studies are also required that measure the influence of such effects on the sustainability of physical activity.

Dr. Jo Thompson-Coon, PenCLAHRC Research Fellow, commented: "The hypothesis that there are added beneficial effects to be gained from exercising in the natural environment is very appealing and has generated considerable interest. By using the data currently available to us we have added strength to the link between mental and physical well-being and outdoor exercise, but further research and longer, tailor-made and focused trials are needed to better understand this link."

The senior author of the study, Professor Michael Depledge, Chair of Environment and Human Health at the ECEHH, added: "Some 75 per cent of the European population now live in urban environments, so that increasing efforts need to be made to re-connect people with nature via programmes such as the Green Gym and Blue Gym. Our research, which brings together data from a wide variety of sources, adds significant weight to the case for spending more time in the natural environment as members of the public and their clinicians fight to counteract the negative outcomes of modern living, such as obesity and depression. We look forward to conducting the further research and trials required to establish the evidence-base for introduction of outdoor activity into general lifestyle to complement therapeutic intervention."

Professor Stuart Logan, Director -- Institute of Health Service Research and Director -- PenCLAHRC, at the Peninsula College of Medicine & Dentistry, said: "This is just the sort of project that PenCLAHRC is designed to support. It reflects the aim of the National Institute for Health Research in establishing CLAHRCs around the UK -- locally identified and undertaken research that translates to improved health and well-being and that both benefits the local community and contributes to the production of research evidence. This is an exciting project with immense potential."

• Mental Health Research
• Medical Topics
• Chronic Illness
• Health Policy
• Diseases and Conditions
• Alternative Medicine
• Human cloning
• Anaerobic exercise
• Aerobic exercise
• Physical exercise
• Psychopathology
• Weight training
• Health benefits of tea

Story Source:

Materials provided by The Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry . Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference :

• J. Thompson Coon, K. Boddy, K. Stein, R. Whear, J. Barton, M. H. Depledge. Does Participating in Physical Activity in Outdoor Natural Environments Have a Greater Effect on Physical and Mental Wellbeing than Physical Activity Indoors? A Systematic Review . Environmental Science & Technology , 2011; 110203115102046 DOI: 10.1021/es102947t

Cite This Page :

Explore More

• 'Rainbow' Detected On an Exoplanet
• Spears and Throwing Sticks 300,000 Years Old
• High Carbon Impact of Tourism at Yellowstone
• Extreme Starburst Galaxy
• Asthma: Disease May Be Stoppable
• Stellar Collisions and Zombie-Like Survivors
• Tiny Robot Swarms Inspired by Herd Mentality
• How the Brain Regulates Emotions
• Evolution in Action? Nitrogen-Fixing Organelles
• Plastic-Free Vegan Leather That Dyes Itself

Trending Topics

Strange & offbeat.

• Find a Doctor
• Patients & Visitors
• ER Wait Times
• For Medical Professionals
• Piedmont MyChart

• Medical Professionals
• Find Doctors
• Find Locations

Receive helpful health tips, health news, recipes and more right to your inbox.

Sign up to receive the Living Real Change Newsletter

7 health benefits of outdoor exercise

ShaNay Norvell, a certified fitness instructor who leads classes at Cancer Wellness, shares seven reasons to take your workout outdoors.

“If you’re going through cancer treatment, getting outdoors can be part of the healing process,” says Norvell. “Even if you can only get outside five to 10 minutes a day, that’s great! Everyone can use some fresh air and sunshine.”

Here are some top benefits of exercising alfresco:

It’s a natural antidepressant. Outdoor exercise can help ward off seasonal affective disorder (SAD), depression and anxiety because sunshine naturally increases serotonin, a hormone that affects your mood. And exercise itself produces endorphins, another feel-good hormone that boosts your mood and reduces pain.

It challenges your body. “When exercising on ever-changing outdoor terrain, your body is more challenged than when it is working out on a flat indoor surface,” explains Norvell.

You may be more likely to stick with it. “I take many of my individual clients and classes outdoors,” says Norvell. “They often tell me it doesn’t feel like as much of a workout as running on the treadmill, even though they are still getting a great calorie burn.”

It provides mental relief. “Many people feel a lot of tension about working out, losing weight and lowering their blood pressure,” she explains. “Outdoor exercise is enjoyable and feels more like play than a chore.”

You can turn it into a social outing. “Exercise can become a lot more fun if you involve family and friends,” she says. Instead of meeting a friend for lunch or coffee, consider going for a walk. Or take your family out for a walk together instead of watching TV after dinner.

It’s free. All you need to get a fantastic workout is a safe, well-lit park, track, neighborhood or walking trail, and your bodyweight. No gym membership required.

It can be a team-building experience. “There are many recreational sports leagues for adults, such as kickball or softball,” says Norvell. “I encourage adults to do it, even if you’re not an athlete. Joining a team can help you stay consistent with exercise and it can bring back those feelings you had as a kid playing outside—and unlike high school, no athletic ability is required.”

What you’ll need to get started with outdoor exercise

You’ll need the following supplies:

Sun protection. “Some cancer treatments can increase your light sensitivity, so be sure to wear SPF , sunglasses and a hat, no matter your skin tone,” she says. “If you ever start feeling queasy, seek shade right away.”

Supportive walking or running shoes. Good shoes protect the entire body from injury.

Water. A good rule of thumb: Sip 4 to 6 ounces of water every 15 to 20 minutes you’re outside.

Outdoor cardio routine

Walking outdoors is a great cardiovascular workout , especially if you’re new to exercise. Here’s how to get started:

Determine your distance and route, such as two laps around the track at your local park each Sunday.

Increase your speed. Each week, time yourself and try to walk your lap faster than you did the week before.

Increase your distance. Once you’ve bumped up your speed, add another lap to your routine to walk a longer distance.

Add some intervals . If you’re looking for more intensity after a few weeks or you’re short on time, add a few jogging intervals to burn more calories and increase your heart rate. Try jogging for one minute, then walking for two minutes. Repeat this cycle during your allotted workout time.

Add some strength training moves . For example, after 20 minutes of walking, stop and do 20 squats.

Outdoor strength training routine

Bodyweight exercises increase your strength and muscle tone, which helps protect your joints, ligaments and bones . Try this 20-minute circuit from Norvell:

Warm-up: March in place or walk for three to five minutes.

Dynamic stretching: This type of stretching uses movement to activate and warm up the muscles. Avoid holding or bouncing your stretches before the body is warmed up. “This is like pulling on a frozen rubber band — it’ll snap easily,” she says. Instead, try 20 knee hugs on each side or knee circles to lubricate your joints.

Squats: Perform 20 squats. If you can’t do a full squat, try sitting down on a park bench, then standing up 20 times.

Push-ups: Perform 10 to 12 pushups with your knees on or off the ground.

Triceps dips: Using a park bench, do 10 to 12 dips to work the back of your arms.

Front leg raises: Alternate lifting one leg straight in front of you to work your abdominal muscles without having to lie down on the ground. Do 10 to 12 raises on each side. Use a bench or tree for support if needed.

Starting again with squats, repeat this sequence five more times or for a total of 20 minutes.

Add a cool-down lap around the park or neighborhood.

Gently stretch each muscle group. Check out these stretching routines for a quick tutorial.

“Outdoor exercise is so beneficial because it gives you a lot of variety, sunshine and stress relief, helping you feel great,” says Norvell.

For more fitness tips, check out our Movement page .

• stress relief
• strength training

Schedule your appointment online

Schedule with our online booking tool

*We have detected that you are using an unsupported or outdated browser. An update is not required, but for best search experience we strongly recommend updating to the latest version of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Internet Explorer 11+

Share this story

Download the Piedmont Now app

• Indoor Hospital Navigation
• Find & Save Physicians
• Online Scheduling

Download the app today!

Appointments at Mayo Clinic

Exercise: 7 benefits of regular physical activity.

You know exercise is good for you, but do you know how good? From boosting your mood to improving your sex life, find out how exercise can improve your life.

Want to feel better, have more energy and even add years to your life? Just exercise.

The health benefits of regular exercise and physical activity are hard to ignore. Everyone benefits from exercise, no matter their age, sex or physical ability.

Need more convincing to get moving? Check out these seven ways that exercise can lead to a happier, healthier you.

1. Exercise controls weight

Exercise can help prevent excess weight gain or help you keep off lost weight. When you take part in physical activity, you burn calories. The more intense the activity, the more calories you burn.

Regular trips to the gym are great, but don't worry if you can't find a large chunk of time to exercise every day. Any amount of activity is better than none. To gain the benefits of exercise, just get more active throughout your day. For example, take the stairs instead of the elevator or rev up your household chores. Consistency is key.

2. Exercise combats health conditions and diseases

Worried about heart disease? Hoping to prevent high blood pressure? No matter what your current weight is, being active boosts high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, the "good" cholesterol, and it decreases unhealthy triglycerides. This one-two punch keeps your blood flowing smoothly, which lowers your risk of heart and blood vessel, called cardiovascular, diseases.

Regular exercise helps prevent or manage many health problems and concerns, including:

• Metabolic syndrome.
• High blood pressure.
• Type 2 diabetes.
• Depression.
• Many types of cancer.

It also can help improve cognitive function and helps lower the risk of death from all causes.

3. Exercise improves mood

Need an emotional lift? Or need to lower stress after a stressful day? A gym session or brisk walk can help. Physical activity stimulates many brain chemicals that may leave you feeling happier, more relaxed and less anxious.

You also may feel better about your appearance and yourself when you exercise regularly, which can boost your confidence and improve your self-esteem.

4. Exercise boosts energy

Winded by grocery shopping or household chores? Regular physical activity can improve your muscle strength and boost your endurance.

Exercise sends oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and helps your cardiovascular system work more efficiently. And when your heart and lung health improve, you have more energy to tackle daily chores.

5. Exercise promotes better sleep

Struggling to snooze? Regular physical activity can help you fall asleep faster, get better sleep and deepen your sleep. Just don't exercise too close to bedtime, or you may be too energized to go to sleep.

6. Exercise puts the spark back into your sex life

Do you feel too tired or too out of shape to enjoy physical intimacy? Regular physical activity can improve energy levels and give you more confidence about your physical appearance, which may boost your sex life.

But there's even more to it than that. Regular physical activity may enhance arousal for women. And men who exercise regularly are less likely to have problems with erectile dysfunction than are men who don't exercise.

7. Exercise can be fun — and social!

Exercise and physical activity can be fun. They give you a chance to unwind, enjoy the outdoors or simply do activities that make you happy. Physical activity also can help you connect with family or friends in a fun social setting.

So take a dance class, hit the hiking trails or join a soccer team. Find a physical activity you enjoy, and just do it. Bored? Try something new, or do something with friends or family.

Exercise to feel better and have fun

Exercise and physical activity are great ways to feel better, boost your health and have fun. For most healthy adults, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends these exercise guidelines:

Aerobic activity. Get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity. Or get at least 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity a week. You also can get an equal combination of moderate and vigorous activity. Aim to spread out this exercise over a few days or more in a week.

For even more health benefits, the guidelines suggest getting 300 minutes a week or more of moderate aerobic activity. Exercising this much may help with weight loss or keeping off lost weight. But even small amounts of physical activity can be helpful. Being active for short periods of time during the day can add up and have health benefits.

• Strength training. Do strength training exercises for all major muscle groups at least two times a week. One set of each exercise is enough for health and fitness benefits. Use a weight or resistance level heavy enough to tire your muscles after about 12 to 15 repetitions.

Moderate aerobic exercise includes activities such as brisk walking, biking, swimming and mowing the lawn.

Vigorous aerobic exercise includes activities such as running, swimming laps, heavy yardwork and aerobic dancing.

You can do strength training by using weight machines or free weights, your own body weight, heavy bags, or resistance bands. You also can use resistance paddles in the water or do activities such as rock climbing.

If you want to lose weight, keep off lost weight or meet specific fitness goals, you may need to exercise more.

Remember to check with a health care professional before starting a new exercise program, especially if you have any concerns about your fitness or haven't exercised for a long time. Also check with a health care professional if you have chronic health problems, such as heart disease, diabetes or arthritis.

There is a problem with information submitted for this request. Review/update the information highlighted below and resubmit the form.

From Mayo Clinic to your inbox

Sign up for free and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips, current health topics, and expertise on managing health. Click here for an email preview.

Error Email field is required

Error Include a valid email address

To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, and understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your email and website usage information with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, this could include protected health information. If we combine this information with your protected health information, we will treat all of that information as protected health information and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our notice of privacy practices. You may opt-out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the e-mail.

Thank you for subscribing!

You'll soon start receiving the latest Mayo Clinic health information you requested in your inbox.

Sorry something went wrong with your subscription

Please, try again in a couple of minutes

• AskMayoExpert. Physical activity (adult). Mayo Clinic; 2021.
• Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. 2nd ed. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://health.gov/our-work/physical-activity/current-guidelines. Accessed June 25, 2021.
• Peterson DM. The benefits and risk of aerobic exercise. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed June 24, 2021.
• Maseroli E, et al. Physical activity and female sexual dysfunction: A lot helps, but not too much. The Journal of Sexual Medicine. 2021; doi:10.1016/j.jsxm.2021.04.004.
• Allen MS. Physical activity as an adjunct treatment for erectile dysfunction. Nature Reviews: Urology. 2019; doi:10.1038/s41585-019-0210-6.
• Tips for starting physical activity. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/weight-management/tips-get-active/tips-starting-physical-activity. Accessed June 25, 2021.
• Laskowski ER (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic. June 16, 2021.

Products and Services

• Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine
• A Book: The Mayo Clinic Diet Bundle
• A Book: Live Younger Longer
• Available Health Products from Mayo Clinic Store
• Available Solutions under FSA/HSA Coverage from Mayo Clinic Store
• Newsletter: Mayo Clinic Health Letter — Digital Edition
• A Book: Mayo Clinic Book of Home Remedies
• A Book: Mayo Clinic on High Blood Pressure
• A Book: Mayo Clinic Family Health Book, 5th Edition
• The Mayo Clinic Diet Online
• Balance exercises
• Blood Doping
• Can I exercise if I have atopic dermatitis?
• Core exercises
• Exercise and chronic disease
• Exercise and illness
• Stress relief
• Exercising with arthritis
• Fitness ball exercises videos
• Fitness program
• Fitness training routine
• Hate to exercise? Try these tips
• Hockey Flywheel
• How fit are you?
• Marathon and the Heat
• BMI and waist circumference calculator
• Mayo Clinic Minute: How to hit your target heart rate
• Staying active with Crohn's disease
• Strength training: How-to video collection

Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission.

• Opportunities

Mayo Clinic Press

Check out these best-sellers and special offers on books and newsletters from Mayo Clinic Press .

• Mayo Clinic on Incontinence - Mayo Clinic Press Mayo Clinic on Incontinence
• The Essential Diabetes Book - Mayo Clinic Press The Essential Diabetes Book
• Mayo Clinic on Hearing and Balance - Mayo Clinic Press Mayo Clinic on Hearing and Balance
• FREE Mayo Clinic Diet Assessment - Mayo Clinic Press FREE Mayo Clinic Diet Assessment
• Mayo Clinic Health Letter - FREE book - Mayo Clinic Press Mayo Clinic Health Letter - FREE book
• Healthy Lifestyle
• Exercise 7 benefits of regular physical activity

Your gift holds great power – donate today!

Make your tax-deductible gift and be a part of the cutting-edge research and care that's changing medicine.