Initially subjects completed and si

Initially subjects completed and signed an informed consent and the PAR-Q General Health
Questionnaire. A Polar heart rate monitor and Cardiosport transmitter belt were used to
record heart rate at five second intervals. Weight (kg) and height (m) were recorded and then
a series of profile building questions were asked about the subject’s exercise habits and their
perspectives on the natural environment. On completion (5 minutes), subjects relaxed in a
supine position, with eyes closed on the massage table for a further three minutes. Heart rate
was monitored throughout this period and the lowest value attained was considered to
represent the resting heart rate. Resting systolic and diastolic blood pressure was measured at
the end of this period using an Omron Digital blood pressure monitor. Subjects then
completed the POMS and self-esteem questionnaires, which were rotated at random.
Subjects were familiarized with a printed version of Borg’s 20 point rating of perceived
exertion (RPE) scale (Borg 1961) while stationary on the treadmill. Subjects were advised to
exercise at level 12 (‘fairly light’). The speed of the treadmill was controlled remotely by the
tester via the software package according to oral feedback from the subject.
Subjects warmed up by walking at a moderate pace for 3 minutes. The speed of the
treadmill was then steadily increased until the subject informed the tester that it had
reached the specified ‘fairly light’ intensity that was relative to their level of fitness. For most
of the subjects this intensity was achieved at a jogging pace, but for others it was a fast walk.
Subjects could instruct the tester to alter the speed of the treadmill at any point during the
exercise to ensure that the intensity remained consistent. During the 20 minute period of
exercise, the randomly allocated set of pictures appeared sequentially, in randomized order,
on the projector screen and heart rate data were continuously recorded. Subjects were
instructed to concentrate on absorbing and assimilating as much about the individual
pictures as they could. One set of participants acted as the control group, as they exercised
with a blank white screen. Twenty subjects were tested for each of the five categories of
photographs.
Following the 20 minutes of exercise, the treadmill speed was reduced to a standstill within
twenty seconds. Subjects then completed both the POMS and self-esteem questionnaires
immediately (randomly rotated), so that any effect of the pictures combined with the exercise
would not be lost. Five minutes after the exercise, blood pressure was measured.