Search

We conducted physiological and psychological research on the mental, physical, relaxation and health-maintenance effect of Shinrin-yoku (forest ramble) in elderly persons. Eleven healthy male and 8 female elderly persons, whose average age was 74.0 ± 3.5 years old for males and 74.9 ± 2.9 years old for females volunteered for this experiment. All members rambled for one hour in the forest on August 17 under cloudy skies, a temperature of 30-32°C, 58-60% humidity, and, 0-2 m/sec wind conditions, and then rambled again for another one hour in a non-forest rural agricultural area on August 21 under almost the same weather conditions. Phytoncides in the air, Profile of Mood State (POMS) test blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), fasting levels of circulating natural killer cell activity (NK), plasma catecholamine (adrenaline, noradrenalin and dopamine), plasma cortisol, and serum adiponectin were measured before and after the ramble. Phytoncides in the air were detected in the forest rambled and non-forest rambled and all members showed a decrease in the POMS total scale, adrenalin and serum cortisol. Adiponectin and NK cell activity did not change significantly before and after Shinrin-yoku. Our experiment on Shinrin-yoku in the elderly confirmed its relaxation and health maintenance effects, probably due to rambling in the fresh forest air. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]