The Effects of Green Exercise on Chronic Pain, Physical and Mental Health

Abstract

The activity practised in the natural environment is named green exercise. It is known that regular physical activity and exercise have many protective, curative and preventive health benefits. The green exercise concept meets the synergistic benefits of nature and exercise. The aim of this study is to present the effects of green exercise on chronic pain, physical and mental health by searching the literature. It is concluded that spending time in easily accessible, natural and pleasant environments with high biodiversity provides physiological, psychological and social well-being and is effective in increasing the quality of life. Green exercise also contributes to the development of people's positive attitudes to the environment. In the studies, it is clearly seen that green exercise provides multifaceted psychological, hormonal and neuroimmunological benefits and is a method which is compatible with the biopsychosocial approach. As a result, it has been revealed that the green exercise recipes of this exercise approach which contributes to sustainable health and the environment, should be further supported by the protection of natural environments, evidence-based research and incentives.

Keywords

• Green exercise
• nature
• chronic pain
• mental
• physical health

Yeşil Egzersizin Kronik Ağrıya, Fiziksel ve Mental Sağlığa Etkileri

Abstract

Doğal ortamlarda gerçekleştirilen fiziksel aktivite yeşil egzersiz olarak adlandırılmaktadır. Düzenli fiziksel aktivite ve egzersizin sağlık açısından koruyucu, iyileştirici ve önleyici birçok yararı olduğu bilinmektedir. Doğanın ve egzersizin sinerjik faydalarını ise yeşil egzersiz kavramı karşılamaktadır. Bu çalışmanın amacı, literatür taraması yaparak yeşil egzersizin kronik ağrıya, fiziksel ve mental sağlığa etkilerini ortaya koymaktır. Kolay erişilebilen, biyoçeşitliliği fazla olan doğal ve hoş ortamlarda vakit geçirmenin fizyolojik, psikolojik ve sosyal refahı sağladığı, yaşam kalitesinin artmasında etkili olduğu görülmektedir. Yeşil egzersiz ayrıca insanların çevreye karşı olumlu tutumlarının da gelişmesine katkı sağlamaktadır. Yapılan çalışmalarda yeşil egzersizin psikolojik, hormonal ve nöroimmünolojik çok boyutlu yararlar sağladığı, biyopsikososyal yaklaşımla uyumlu bir yöntem olduğu açıkça görülmektedir. Sonuç olarak, sürdürülebilir sağlığa ve çevreye katkısı olan bu egzersiz yaklaşımının yeşil egzersiz reçeteleri, doğal ortamların korunması, kanıta dayalı araştırmalar ve teşviklerle daha çok desteklenmesi gerektiği ortaya konmuştur.

Keywords

• Yeşil egzersiz
• doğa
• kronik ağrı
• mental
• fiziksel sağlık

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