Most of us know the feeling: a burst of enthusiasm for a new exercise routine, followed a few weeks later by a quiet return to the sofa. This summer, HEEP PhD student Matt Putland set out to ask whether the environments we exercise in could help change that.
The BRANCH Project (Behavioural Retention for Activity in Natural and Constructed Habitats), led by Matt at Loughborough University alongside Drs Danny Longman & Colin Shaw, was a 6-week randomised controlled trial. Participants walked alone in either green or urban settings, building towards graduated weekly targets. Rather than taking people’s word for it, we verified adherence by GPS through Strava, alongside measures of wellbeing, enjoyment, motivation and sleep quality.
BRANCH follows on neatly from Matt’s recent publication in Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health, which found that a single run in a forest improved mood and increased performance, enjoyment and intention to exercise again, compared with running in an urban environment. The big question now is whether those good intentions actually translate into people sticking with it over time.
Matt is now getting stuck into the data, so watch this space. A huge thank you to everyone who laced up and took part!
