The effect of ‘green exercise’ on post exercise hypotension in children. An exploratory study.

Abstract

Recent adult data has suggested that ‘green exercise’ where exercise is undertaken viewing scenes of nature may enhance health. No studies to date have examined this in children. This study sought to explore the effect of green exercise on the cardiovascular responses in children. Following ethics approval and parental and child consent, 10 prepubertal children (6 boys, 4 girls, Mean age ± SD = 9.4 ± 0.5 years) undertook two bouts of moderate intensity (50% heart rate reserve) cycling for 15 min. In one condition children cycled with no stimulus (Control) whereas in the other children cycled whilst viewing a simulated cycle in a pleasant ‘green’ environment (Green Exercise). Pre exercise, post exercise and 15 min post exercise systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure was assessed using automated sphygmomanometry (Bosu Medicus, Bosu, Italy) as was heart rate (Polar Electro, Finland). Repeated measures ANOVA indicated no significant effects for DBP or heart rate (all P > .05). However, there was a significant condition X time interaction for SBP ( F 1,9 = 5.02, P = .05, Pη 2 = .358) whereby SBP was significantly lower 15 min post exercise in the green exercise condition compared to the control condition. This exploratory study suggests that acute aerobic exercise undertaken when viewing scenes of nature may elicit greater postexercise hypotension in prepubertal children compared to exercise alone. The results are limited due to the small sample size but do offer promise as a means to potentially augment the health enhancing effects of aerobic exercise in children.