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Review
. 2023 Jan 9:4:1036777.
doi: 10.3389/fspor.2022.1036777. eCollection 2022.

Outdoor walking better? environmental elements of cardiorespiratory fitness training trails

Ching Li  1 , Chia-Wen Lee  1 , King Tai Tsang  1
Affiliations
Review

Outdoor walking better? environmental elements of cardiorespiratory fitness training trails

Ching Li et al. Front Sports Act Living. .

Abstract

In metropolitan areas where land resources are scarce, trails are a more suitable environment for cardiorespiratory fitness training for modern people. Previous studies have demonstrated that cardiorespiratory fitness is an important factor in assessing individual health and have focused on individual training performance, but the relationship between environment and cardiorespiratory fitness training participants has rarely been investigated. The purpose of this study was to investigate the demands for outdoor cardiorespiratory fitness training and a favorable trail environment by comparing the differences in exercise intensity and perceptions between outdoor and indoor environments. In this study, information on physical data, psychological feedback, and visual atmosphere was collected from nine participants during each phase of moderate intensity cardiorespiratory fitness training in indoor and outdoor environments. The results revealed that outdoor cardiorespiratory fitness training provided participants with lower training intensity during the active exercise phase and higher heart rate during the stretching phase compared to indoor training. The participants paid more attention to the slope, length, pavement, Spaciousness, and width of the trails and the circuitous route. The change of the visual atmosphere and the scenery for the environmental factors were the important factors to motivate the participants to train. The results of the study could assist participants to understand a favorable cardiorespiratory training environment and design a suitable training program, as well as provide a model for trail planning and design for government.

Keywords: cardiorespiratory fitness training; environment factor; indoor health and fitness club; outdoor trail; visual atmosphere.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Favorable outdoor trail environment indicators.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Outdoor environment elements needed for moderate cardiorespiratory fitness training.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Indoor walking environment colour analysis charts.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Outdoor walking environment colour analysis charts.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Outdoor environment elements needed for moderate cardiorespiratory fitness training.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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