Physiological and biochemical effects of kurort healthy walking

Abstract

Kurort healthy walking is started to spread across the country as an exercise for health promotion utilizing a rich natural environment in Japan. It is characterized by walking on sloping terrain with mild body cooling (a decrease of approximately 2°C in skin temperature). The body cooling induces physiological and biochemical changes such as the decrease in heart rate and increase in energy metabolism. Although the characteristics of kurort healthy walking are a decrease of approximately 2°C in skin temperature, to our knowledge, no study has focused on its effects on the heart rate or metabolism during exercise. This review focuses on mild body cooling and summarises the effects of kurort healthy walking on physiological and biochemical parameters.