Perceived environmental restorativeness and affective responses to indoor vs. outdoor exercise
Year: 2011
Type: article
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of environmental setting (indoor vs. outdoor) on affect and attentional focus during exercise. In this counterbalanced, repeated measures design, 26 women (ages 18-26) exercised at a moderate intensity (60-70% of MHR) for 30 minutes in two settings: indoor track and outdoor path. Participants filled out dimensional measures of affect pre- and post-exercise: Activation Deactivation Adjective Check List, Feeling Scale (FS), and Felt Arousal Scale (FAS). FS, FAS, and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) were assessed every 10 minutes during exercise. Post-exercise, participants also filled out the Attentional Focus Questionnaire, Perceived Restorativeness Scale (PRS), and Evaluation of Exercise Setting. Mixed analyses of variance with order as a between-subjects factor and time and setting as within-subjects factors indicated that exercise, regardless of setting, resulted in significant reductions in tiredness, F(1, 24) = 11.58, p = .002, and significant increases in affective valence, F(1.9, 46.1) = 7.1, p = .002, arousal, F(2.29, 55.02) = 21.65, p These findings suggest that being in an outdoor environment can make exercise more enjoyable, particularly for less active individuals. Future research might examine the environment's impact on longer-term adherence and mood, and ways to manipulate exercise settings to promote enjoyment and positive affect.
Author: Amanda Williams
Language: English
Topic: Urban Green Space and Health
Subfield: Urban Studies
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1937982247