Effect of Forest Walking on Autonomic Nervous System Activity in Middle-Aged Hypertensive Individuals: A Pilot Study
by
Chorong Song 1,†, Harumi Ikei 1,†, Maiko Kobayashi 2, Takashi Miura 3, Masao Taue 4, Takahide Kagawa 5
, Qing Li 2, Shigeyoshi Kumeda 6, Michiko Imai 7 and Yoshifumi Miyazaki 1,*
Chorong Song 1,†, Harumi Ikei 1,†, Maiko Kobayashi 2, Takashi Miura 3, Masao Taue 4, Takahide Kagawa 5, Qing Li 2, Shigeyoshi Kumeda 6, Michiko Imai 7 and Yoshifumi Miyazaki 1,*
1
Center for Environment, Health and Field Sciences, Chiba University, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-0882, Japan
2
Department of Hygiene and Public Health, Nippon Medical School, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo 113-8602, Japan
3
Agematsu Town Office Industry & Tourism Department, Kiso, Nagano 399-5601, Japan
4
Agematsu Town Office, Kiso, Nagano 399-5603, Japan
5
Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture 305-8687, Japan
6
Nagano Prefectural Kiso Hospital, Nagano 397-8555, Japan
7
Le Verseau Inc., Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-0051, Japan
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Academic Editor: Paul B. Tchounwou
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2015, 12(3), 2687-2699; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph120302687
Received: 20 November 2014 / Revised: 6 February 2015 / Accepted: 16 February 2015 / Published: 2 March 2015
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.
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Keywords:
forest therapy; urban environment; walking; hypertension; middle-aged individuals; preventive medicine; heart rate variability; heart rate; semantic differential method; profile of mood state
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MDPI and ACS Style
Song, C.; Ikei, H.; Kobayashi, M.; Miura, T.; Taue, M.; Kagawa, T.; Li, Q.; Kumeda, S.; Imai, M.; Miyazaki, Y. Effect of Forest Walking on Autonomic Nervous System Activity in Middle-Aged Hypertensive Individuals: A Pilot Study. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2015, 12, 2687-2699.
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