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The influence of personal patterns of behavior on the physiological effects of woodland walking
Context:
The effects of forest walking are once again being recognized; however, few studies have investigated individual variations in the effects of forest walking.
Objective:
The objective of the current study was to investigate the influence of individual patterns of behavior on the physiological effects of walking through woodland.
Design:
The study employed a crossover, open-label, single-group, self-controlled design.
Setting:
This study was conducted in the forest on Ikoma Mountain, at the eastern edge of Osaka Prefecture in Japan.
Participants:
Participants were 20 healthy males, selected randomly from a population of members at a nonprofit organization with a mean age of 67.6 y.
Intervention:
Moving from the start of a mountain path to an observation platform, participants took a 1000-m walk through the forest. On another day, participants remained in their offices.
Primary Outcome Measures:
Patterns of personal behavior were assessed preintervention by written questionnaire, identifying type A and type B behavior patterns. Salivary chromogranin A (CgA) levels were determined immediately before and after the walk as well as at 20 min after and 40 min after its end. On the day when participants sat in their offices, control samples were collected at the same times as on the day of the walk.
Results:
In the type B-behavior pattern group, a significant increase in the levels of CgA occurred after the walk. No change was observed in the type A-behavior pattern group.
Conclusions:
The findings suggest that walking in woodland may bring about positive health benefits, particularly to individuals with type B characteristics.
