I recently read a research article, written by Gladwell and colleagues, from the Journal of Extreme Physiology and Medicine, titled “The green outdoors: how a green exercise environment can benefit all.”
I found this article (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3710158/) after searching for the relationship between green space and exercise. My time spent working in Auburn University’s Psychophysiology Lab told me that there already was a correlation.
Why even research the correlation to begin with?
Currently, many industries (including the fitness industry) are delivering their goods and services over different platforms. We’ve already discussed virtual workouts, but we have yet to discuss green workouts.
In order to accommodate higher volumes of people outside gym doors, fitness facilities (like UA) have found green workout spaces.
What began as a way to reinforce social distancing, turned into a highly motivating exercise environment simply because it was green.
According to the review of literature by Gladwell and colleagues in 2013, green workouts cause “…greater feelings of revitalization and positive engagement” and “improve self-esteem and negative mood…”
However, what I found most interesting was that green workouts reduced exercisers’ ratings of perceived exertion (RPE). Following this train of thought, some people will be more likely to continue exercising (adherence), if they don’t believe the workout to be as tough (Gladwell et al., 2013).
As you can see from the date of the review, this is not new information – so it begs the question…
Pandemic or no pandemic – why not always exercise outside? (Until it snows that is…and then I’ll be the first person inside…)
Want to work out On the Field with us, while the weather is still beautiful? Send us an email at urbanathletephiladelphia@gmail.com or visit our website http://urbanathlete.tv !