SynthesisInternational journal of environmental research and public health2023
The Effects of Outdoor versus Indoor Exercise on Psychological Health, Physical Health, and Physical Activity Behaviour: A Systematic Review of Longitudinal Trials.
Synthesis in International journal of environmental research and public health, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 25 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
25 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Nature-based and technology-assisted exercise for cognitive and mobility outcomes in older adults: a systematic review of randomized trials.BMC geriatrics · 2026Pooled it
- The influence of outdoor physical activity on the physical and mental health of college students: a systematic review.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Assessment of the effectiveness of exercise interventions in the treatment of PTSD: based on a systematic evaluation and meta-analysis.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Pooled it
- Nature-based interventions: a systematic review of reviews.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Pooled it
- Trial
- Article
- Examining Daily Associations of Nature Exposure, Body Appreciation, and Physical Activity Among Adolescents.Health education & behavior : the official publication of the Society for Public Health Education · 2026Article
- Outdoor activities and social support on anxiety in Chinese older adults: a cross-sectional study.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Feasibility and Safety of an Outdoor-Simulated Interactive Indoor Cycling Device for Cardiac Rehabilitation: A Pilot Validation Study.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Article
- Association between outdoor physical activity and positive mental health in adolescence: estimating the mediation effect of autonomy, competence and relatedness.The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity · 2025Article
- 2025 Position statement on active outdoor play.The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity · 2025Review
- The land cover paradox: Characteristics of blue- and green spaces within and beyond high-risk suicide clusters.SSM - population health · 2025Article
- Impact of a Multidomain Outdoor Exercise Intervention on Cardiovascular Health and Functional Capacity for Healthy Aging: A Randomized Controlled Trial (ACTIVA-Senior Study).Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Investigating biological sex as a moderator of the association of nature exposure with brain health: a cross-sectional UK biobank analysis.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Nature's Medicine? The Associations of Organized Youth Sport, Unstructured Physical Activity, and Land-Use Recreation with Children's Mental Health, Emotional Control, and Social Well-Being.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025Article
- Recommendations for Physical Exercise as a Strategy to Reduce Problematic Use of the Internet and Digital Devices: A Perspective.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025Article
- TBI history and psychological symptom improvements following exercise therapies among U.S. service members.Frontiers in human neuroscience · 2025Article
- Home-based physical activity and well-being during infectious diseases: a structural equation modeling study.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Article
- An integrative review of the physical, mental, and socioeconomic benefits of outdoor hiking.Frontiers in public health · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
A growing body of research is exploring the potential added health benefits of exercise when performed outdoors in nature versus indoors. This systematic review aimed to compare the effects of exercise in outdoor environments versus indoor environments on psychological health, physical health, and physical activity behaviour. We searched nine databases from inception to March 2021 for English language, peer-reviewed articles: MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL, SportsDiscus, GreenFile, and CENTRAL. We included randomized and non-randomized trials that compared multiple bouts of exercise in outdoor versus indoor environments, and that assessed at least one outcome related to physical health, psychological health, or physical activity behaviour. Due to minimal outcome overlap and a paucity of studies, we performed a narrative synthesis. We identified 10 eligible trials, including 7 randomized controlled trials, and a total of 343 participants. Participant demographics, exercise protocols, and outcomes varied widely. In the 10 eligible studies, a total of 99 comparisons were made between outdoor and indoor exercise; all 25 statistically significant comparisons favoured outdoor exercise. Interpretation of findings was hindered by an overall high risk of bias, unclear reporting, and high outcome heterogeneity. There is limited evidence for added health or behaviour benefits of outdoor exercise versus indoor exercise. Rigorous randomized controlled trials are needed with larger samples and clear reporting.
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Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.