Influence of Forest Therapy on Cardiovascular Relaxation in Young Adults

Overview

Journal Evid Based Complement Alternat Med

Specialty Rehabilitation Medicine

Date 2014 Mar 25

PMID 24660018

Citations 100

Authors

Juyoung Lee

Yuko Tsunetsugu

Norimasa Takayama

Bum-Jin Park

Qing Li

Chorong Song

Misako Komatsu

Harumi Ikei

Liisa Tyrvainen

Takahide Kagawa

Yoshifumi Miyazaki

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background. Despite increasing attention toward forest therapy as an alternative medicine, very little evidence continues to be available on its therapeutic effects. Therefore, this study was focused on elucidating the health benefits of forest walking on cardiovascular reactivity. Methods. Within-group comparisons were used to examine the cardiovascular responses to walking in forest and urban environments. Forty-eight young adult males participated in the two-day field research. Changes in heart rate variability, heart rate, and blood pressure were measured to understand cardiovascular reactivity. Four different questionnaires were used to investigate the changes in psychological states after walking activities. Results. Forest walking significantly increased the values of ln(HF) and significantly decreased the values of ln(LF/HF) compared with the urban walking. Heart rate during forest walking was significantly lower than that in the control. Questionnaire results showed that negative mood states and anxiety levels decreased significantly by forest walking compared with urban walking. Conclusion. Walking in the forest environment may promote cardiovascular relaxation by facilitating the parasympathetic nervous system and by suppressing the sympathetic nervous system. In addition, forest therapy may be effective for reducing negative psychological symptoms.

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