Author(s): ZHANG, D., LI, W., JIN, Y., Institution: ZHEJIANG NORMAL UNIVERSITY, Country: CHINA, Abstract-ID: 137

Introduction
Green exercise has been widely shown to provide synergistic benefits than those from exposure to other environments or from engaging in physical activity alone or being in a natural environment alone. Much of the literature has emphasized the importance of the positive effects of exposure to nature, which are affected by high connectedness to nature (CNT). Yet few studies have explored the effect of CNT on the benefits of green exercise. This study examined whether the differences of CNT in individuals play a role on exercise benefits, which is helpful to choose the suitable environment for recovery and exercise.
Methods
100 healthy college students were recruited through an advertisement at the university campus to answer a Connectedness to Nature Scale (Mayer & Frantz, 2004). Participants scoring in the top 27% were invited as the high-CNT group (14 females and 11 males), whereas participants scoring in the bottom 27% were invited as the low-CNT group (12 females and 11 males). Participants engaged in incremental cycling exercise at a moderate intensity while viewing images of nature or urban environments. Before and after cycling (test time), Chinese versions of the Profile of Mood States scale and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and a two-choice oddball task were completed respectively.
Results
Significant interactions for environment × test time indicated that lower post-test scores in total mood disturbance, tension, fatigue subscales and higher score in vigor subscale in the natural environment condition than in the urban environment condition. An interaction for group × environment × test time showed that the high-CNT group has a significantly increased self-esteem scale scores after cycling in the natural environment, but not in the built environment, while the low-CNT group has a significantly increased self-esteem scale scores in both environments. The significant interactions for group × environment showed that the high-CNT group reports more Being Away and Fascination and Compatibility than the low-CNT group in the natural environment, and less Extent than the low-CNT group in the urban environment.
Discussion
Our results suggest that green exercise improves mood, self-esteem, and restorative experiences. Furthermore, individuals with high-CNT receive more exercise benefits in natural environments. This result might be attributed to feelings toward the natural environment. Individuals with high-CNT are closer to nature and have more positive feelings towards the natural environment, which can lead to more exercise benefits. On the other hand, individuals with high-CNT are less attracted to the urban environment and even report more negative feelings, which might impact the exercise benefits in the urban environment.