title: Physiological and psychological effects of walking on young males in urban parks in winter.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Interaction with nature has a relaxing effect on humans. Increasing attention has been focused on the therapeutic effects of urban green space; however, there is a lack of evidence-based field research. This study provided scientific evidence supporting the physiological and psychological effects of walking on young males in urban parks in winter.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Subjects (13 males aged 22.5 ± 3.1 years) were instructed to walk predetermined 15-minute courses in an urban park (test) and in the city area (control). Heart rate and heart rate variability (HRV) were measured to assess physiological responses. The semantic differential (SD) method, Profile of Mood States (POMS), and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) were used to determine psychological responses.Heart rate was significantly lower and the natural logarithm of the high frequency component of HRV was significantly higher when walking through the urban park than through the city area. The results of three questionnaires indicated that walking in the urban park improved mood and decreased negative feelings and anxiety.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Physiological and psychological data from this field experiment provide important scientific evidence regarding the health benefits of walking in an urban park. The results support the premise that walking in an urban park has relaxing effects even in winter.
authors.forename: Chorong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Dawou
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Joung
authors.forename: Harumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ikei
authors.forename: Miho
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Igarashi
authors.forename: Mariko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aga
authors.forename: Bum-Jin
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miwa
authors.forename: Michiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takagaki
authors.affiliation: Center for Environment, Health and Field Sciences, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan. ymiyazaki@faculty.chiba-u.jp.
authors.forename: Yoshifumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Miyazaki
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect / Q000502:physiology; D000885:Anthropology, Physical; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D002947:Cities; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012621:Seasons; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult