Effect of Forest Walking on Autonomic Nervous System Activity in Middle-Aged Hypertensive Individuals: A Pilot Study

Chorong Song, Harumi Ikei, Maiko Kobayashi, Takashi Miura, Masao Taue, Takahide Kagawa, Qing Li, Shigeyoshi Kumeda, Michiko Imai and Yoshifumi Miyazaki
Additional contact information
Chorong Song: Center for Environment, Health and Field Sciences, Chiba University, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-0882, Japan
Harumi Ikei: Center for Environment, Health and Field Sciences, Chiba University, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-0882, Japan
Maiko Kobayashi: Department of Hygiene and Public Health, Nippon Medical School, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo 113-8602, Japan
Takashi Miura: Agematsu Town Office Industry & Tourism Department, Kiso, Nagano 399-5601, Japan
Masao Taue: Agematsu Town Office, Kiso, Nagano 399-5603, Japan
Takahide Kagawa: Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture 305-8687, Japan
Qing Li: Department of Hygiene and Public Health, Nippon Medical School, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo 113-8602, Japan
Shigeyoshi Kumeda: Nagano Prefectural Kiso Hospital, Nagano 397-8555, Japan
Michiko Imai: Le Verseau Inc., Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-0051, Japan
Yoshifumi Miyazaki: Center for Environment, Health and Field Sciences, Chiba University, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-0882, Japan

IJERPH, 2015, vol. 12, issue 3, 1-13

Abstract: There has been increasing attention on the therapeutic effects of the forest environment. However, evidence-based research that clarifies the physiological effects of the forest environment on hypertensive individuals is lacking. This study provides scientific evidence suggesting that a brief forest walk affects autonomic nervous system activity in middle-aged hypertensive individuals. Twenty participants (58.0 ± 10.6 years) were instructed to walk predetermined courses in forest and urban environments (as control). Course length (17-min walk), walking speed, and energy expenditure were equal between the forest and urban environments to clarify the effects of each environment. Heart rate variability (HRV) and heart rate were used to quantify physiological responses. The modified semantic differential method and Profile of Mood States were used to determine psychological responses. The natural logarithm of the high-frequency component of HRV was significantly higher and heart rate was significantly lower when participants walked in the forest than when they walked in the urban environment. The questionnaire results indicated that, compared with the urban environment, walking in the forest increased “comfortable”, “relaxed”, “natural” and “vigorous” feelings and decreased “tension-anxiety,” “depression,” “anxiety-hostility,” “fatigue” and “confusion”. A brief walk in the forest elicited physiological and psychological relaxation effects on middle-aged hypertensive individuals.

Keywords: forest therapy; urban environment; walking; hypertension; middle-aged individuals; preventive medicine; heart rate variability; heart rate; semantic differential method; profile of mood state (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (30)

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