Green Exercise and Urban Settings
Walking in green urban settings boosts physical and mental health.
Remind people of the benefits of “green exercise,” and take advantage of outdoor settings for training when possible, as we continue to navigate pandemic life.
A study from Polish researchers at the Institute of Forest Sciences in Warsaw showed that green exercise can bring about physiological and psychological relaxation in urban environments as well as forest settings. Forests provide higher levels of improvement, but even green urban atmospheres can feel restorative, improve mood and vitality, and lower blood pressure.
The study was published in Forests (2020; 11 [5], 591). To learn more about green exercise, read “Green Exercise: How It Benefits You” in Fitness Journal.
Shirley Eichenberger-Archer, JD, MA
Shirley Archer, JD, MA, is an internationally acknowledged integrative health and mindfulness specialist, best-selling author of 16 fitness and wellness books translated into multiple languages and sold worldwide, award-winning health journalist, contributing editor to Fitness Journal, media spokesperson, and IDEA's 2008 Fitness Instructor of the Year. She's a 25-year industry veteran and former health and fitness educator at the Stanford Prevention Research Center, who has served on multiple industry committees and co-authored trade books and manuals for ACE, ACSM and YMCA of the USA. She has appeared on TV worldwide and was a featured trainer on America's Next Top Model.
