Green Exercise for Older Adults: Scoping Review, Implementation, and Perceived Restorativeness

Abstract

Green exercise, or exercise performed in a natural environment, has additional health benefits than exercise alone (Barton, Bragg, Wood, & Pretty, 2016). However, older adults may experience barriers to getting outside including distance from natural spaces (Murayama, Yoshie, Sugawara, Wakui, & Arami, 2012; Stride, Cranney, Scott, & Hua, 2017). Therefore, urban parks and forests provide older adults an opportunity to engage in accessible green exercise. Guided by the Attention Restoration Theory and using scoping review and walking interview methods, this dissertation provides evidence for: (1) a gap in existing green exercise intervention studies with exclusively older adult samples, (2) acceptability and appropriateness of Seattle Parks and Recreation walking groups among older adults in Seattle, Washington, United States of America, and (3) the need to critically evaluate theories and measures prior to use with older adults. Multiple perceived benefits were identified among older adults to their physical, mental, social, and spiritual health from green exercise program participation.