Viewing the Outdoors During Indoor Walking May Yield No Additional Exercise-Induced Affective Benefit

Abstract

Objective: We examined the experimental effects of two different indoor environmental conditions (blind up [visible view of the outdoors] or blinds down) during an acute bout of walking on participants’ affect. Methods: Participants (N= 30, mean age = 20.5 yrs) completed a 15-min walking bout on two different days – one when participants walked in front of windows with a view of the outdoors (including natural sights such as trees, flowers, etc.) and one when participants walked in front of the same windows with the blinds down and no outside view. We counter-balanced the order of these conditions, and treadmill speed was matched across the two visits. Results: There were no significant differences in affect change scores (post-walk minus baseline) between outdoor view or no outdoor view conditions. Both acute bouts of walking demonstrated positive affective changes. Conclusion: While this slight modification to the environment did not appear to alter exercise-induced hedonic responses during moderate-intensity walking, future research should continue to investigate any effects of other modifications and the extent to which biological, psychological and/or environmental mechanisms may or may not interact.