Restoration, well-being, and everyday physical activity in indoor, built outdoor and natural outdoor settings

Abstract

Physical activity in natural settings has been found in experimental research to be more restorative than physical activity in built indoor or outdoor settings, yet we lack evidence of this in everyday life. In this study we examined recalled restoration (with the 9-item Restoration Outcome Scale) of the most recent physical activity session in indoor, built outdoor and natural outdoor settings using measurement invariance tests (n=2577). We also compared the relationships between restoration, emotional well-being and frequency of physical activity in these groups. Recalled restoration formed two factors, Restorativeness and Assurance, in all groups, with equal loadings but partly varying item-specific means. Restorativeness was positively connected to emotional well-being in all settings but it did not explain the connection between well-being and physical activity in natural settings. Future studies could explore in more detail how emotional well-being and repeated restoration in different types of environments intertwine.

The Nature of Positive Body Image: Examining Associations Between Nature Exposure, Self-Compassion, Functionality Appreciation, and Body Appreciation

“…In addition to explanations posited elsewhere (e.g., that nature exposure restricts negative appearance-related cognitions and provides spaces to critically appraise unhealthy appearance ideals; , we conjecture that repeated nature exposure provides recurrent opportunities for restoration that accumulate over time into more positive body image (see Pasanen, Ojala, Tyrväinen, & Korpela, 2018). That is, experiencing the restorative effects of nature likely supports the promotion and maintenance of more positive body experiences and activities in the long term.…”

“…For example, a recent meta-analysis reported that there was a positive relationship between trait mindfulness and connectedness to nature (weighted effect size of r = 0.25; Schutte & Malouff, 2018). Other neglected variables that may be worth incorporating into future studies include measures of recurrent or perceived restorative experiences in natural environments (Pasanen et al, 2018) and positive impact (McAllister, Bhullar, & Schutte, 2017). Putting together these variables alongside the variables included in the present work would allow for more complex modelling and a fuller understanding of direct and mediational pathways.…”

Nature exposure and positive body image: (Re-)examining the mediating roles of connectedness to nature and trait mindfulness

“…Finally, future studies may benefit from more complex modelling that includes a wider range of variables. Such variables could include those that have been previously found to mediate relationships between nature exposure and positive body image, such as self-compassion (see Swami et al, 2019), as well as possibly relevant factors, including engagement with natural beauty (Diessner, Solom, Frost, Parsons, & Davidson, 2010) and recurrent or perceived restorative experiences in natural environments (Pasanen, Ojala, Tyrväinen, & Korpela, 2018).…”

Relation between Psychological Restorativeness and Lifestyle, Quality of Life, Resilience, and Stress-Coping in Forest Settings

“…The MMS score for depression and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) [25] score were also lower on the forest days [26]. The psychological responses were also measured by the profile of mood states (POMS) [7,9,27], Zuckerman inventory of personal reactions (ZIPPERS) [28], restorative outcome scales (ROS) [29,30,31], subjective vitality scale (SVS) [32], and positive and negative affect schedule (PANAS) [33,34]. All indicators showed that the forest setting has more positive psychological restorative effects than the urban setting.…”