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

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Chorong Song¹  Harumi Ikei¹  Maiko Kobayashi⁴  Takashi Miura²  Masao Taue⁶  Takahide Kagawa³  Qing Li⁴  Shigeyoshi Kumeda⁵  Michiko Imai⁷  Yoshifumi Miyazaki¹ 

[1] Center for Environment, Health and Field Sciences, Chiba University, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-0882, Japan; E-Mails:;Agematsu Town Office Industry & Tourism Department, Kiso, Nagano 399-5601, Japan; E-Mail:;Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture 305-8687, Japan; E-Mail:;Department of Hygiene and Public Health, Nippon Medical School, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo 113-8602, Japan; E-Mails:;Nagano Prefectural Kiso Hospital, Nagano 397-8555, Japan; E-Mail:;Agematsu Town Office, Kiso, Nagano 399-5603, Japan; E-Mail:;Le Verseau Inc., Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-0051, Japan; E-Mail:

关键词: forest therapy;    urban environment;    walking;    hypertension;    middle-aged individuals;    preventive medicine;    heart rate variability;    heart rate;    semantic differential method;    profile of mood state;   

DOI  :  10.3390/ijerph120302687

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

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.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2015 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.