Abstract
PURPOSE: This study investigated the acute effects of green and blue environment exposure combined with Tai Chi exercise on the short-term emotions of elderly males, and comparatively analyzed the characteristics of acute emotional responses to short-term exposure to different environment types paired with Tai Chi exercise, as well as differences in the maintenance of acute emotional effects following subsequent exposure to different environments after the combined intervention. METHODS: Elderly males from Qinlou Subdistrict, Donggang District, Rizhao City, Shandong Province were recruited and assigned to four groups using the random number table method: conventional environment + Tai Chi (TJQ, N = 23), green environment + Tai Chi (GTJQ, N = 24), blue environment + Tai Chi (BTJQ, N = 23), and balanced green-blue environment + Tai Chi (GBTJQ, N = 24). An acute longitudinal dual-intervention model of "short-term green and blue exposure + short-term Tai Chi exercise + short-term continuous green and blue exposure" was implemented. Heart rate variability (HRV), blood pressure, and short-term positive and negative emotion indices were measured at four time points: prior to the experiment, after 20-min environmental viewing, immediately post-exercise, and at heart rate recovery to resting level. RESULTS: Compared with baseline, the GTJQ, BTJQ, and GBTJQ groups exhibited positive changes in HRV, blood pressure, and emotional indices after 20-min environmental viewing. All of the groups (TJQ, GTJQ, BTJQ, and GBTJQ) demonstrated positive changes in these parameters immediately after acute exercise and at heart rate recovery to resting level. The magnitude of acute positive emotional changes across all of the time points followed the order: BTJQ > GBTJQ > GTJQ > TJQ, with the BTJQ group showing the most pronounced changes. CONCLUSION: Acute exposure to different types of green and blue environments exerts positive effects on the short-term emotional health of elderly males. On this basis, acute exposure to different green and blue environments in combination with Tai Chi exercise further enhances short-term emotional outcomes in elderly males. Further, following this combined acute effect, continuous exposure to different green and blue environments maintains positive emotional changes for a longer duration during the recovery period. The environment types, ranked by the magnitude of acute positive changes and maintenance effects, are as follows: blue environment > balanced green-blue environment > green environment > conventional environment.