Presentation description

Research has shown that a walk in nature can enhance human cognition and help individuals recover from stress. This study explored whether being on your cellphone during a nature walk inhibits the stress benefits associated with being in nature. In the study, participants were randomly assigned to a 40-minute walk in nature either 1) undistracted or 2) while talking on their cellphone. To measure stress, resting electrocardiography (ECG) was recorded before and after the walk. Measures of heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) were extracted from the ECG data to inform us about stress and stress recovery after these two walking conditions.