title: A comparison of four typical green exercise environments and prediction of psychological health outcomes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  'Green exercise' (GE) is physical activity while simultaneously being exposed to nature. GE comprises three physical components: the individual, the exercise and the environment, and one processes component encompassing a range of psychological and physiological processes. Previous research has consistently shown affective benefits of GE compared to equivalent non-GE. Investigating the possibility of optimum GE environments may help maximise health benefits. The aim of this study was to compare affective outcomes of GE participation between four different typical GE environments (beach, grasslands, riverside, heritage), and further examine influences of several physical component-related variables and one processes component-related variable, on these outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants (N = 331) completed questionnaires before and after a 5km run, at one of four parkrun event locations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Self-esteem (Δ = 1.61, 95% confidence interval (CI) = (1.30, 1.93)), stress (Δ = -2.36, 95% CI = (-3.01, -1.71)) and mood (Δ = -5.25, 95% CI = (-7.45, -3.05)) all significantly improved from pre- to post-run (p < .05). Improvements in these measures were not significantly different between environments. Several component-related variables significantly predicted these improvements, accounting for 9% of self-esteem improvement, 1.6% of perceived stress improvement, and 9.5% of mood improvement.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  GE offers accessible provision for improving acute psychological wellbeing. Although nature-based exercise environments can facilitate affective outcomes, the overall type of nature may be less critical. Other characteristics of the individual, exercise and environment can significantly influence attainment of psychological GE benefits. However, the results support a greater importance of the processes component in attaining previously reported affective outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Sports and Exercise Science, School of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, Essex, UK mrogerp@essex.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Mike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rogerson
authors.affiliation: Centre for Sports and Exercise Science, School of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, UK.
authors.forename: Daniel K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: Centre for Sports and Exercise Science, School of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, UK.
authors.forename: Gavin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sandercock
authors.affiliation: Centre for Sports and Exercise Science, School of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, UK.
authors.forename: John-James
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Wooller
authors.affiliation: Centre for Sports and Exercise Science, School of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, UK.
authors.forename: Jo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Barton
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004777:Environment; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010465:Perception; D012420:Running; D012649:Self Concept; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: green exercise; health; mental health; nature; parkrun; wellbeing