Key result
A one-week vacation with regular exercise significantly improved psychological well-being by 40% in the golf group and 19% in the Nordic walking/e-biking group compared to baseline.
Why the study?
The study aimed to evaluate how a one-week vacation combined with various activity programs affects well-being, heart rate variability, and sleep quality in healthy vacationers.
Does a one-week vacation with regular exercise improve well-being, heart rate variability, and sleep quality in healthy untrained adults?
Observational (n=52)
Open-label
No
Does a one-week vacation with regular exercise improve well-being, heart rate variability, and sleep quality in healthy untrained adults?
Effect estimate: +40% (Golf) and +19% (NW&EB)
p-value: p=<0.001 (Golf), 0.019 (NW&EB)
A short-term active vacation significantly improves psychological well-being, stress recovery, and sleep quality in healthy untrained adults.
Short active vacations may boost well-being and sleep in healthy adults; leaves open durability and applicability to patients pending controlled trials.
OBJECTIVES: This open comparative study aimed to analyze the effects of a one-week vacation with various activity programs on well-being, heart rate variability (HRV) and sleep quality in healthy vacationers. METHODS: Fifty-two healthy untrained vacationers spent a one-week vacation with regular exercise in East Tyrol. Exercise was performed on six of seven days. The study participants were divided into a) Group 1, playing golf (G), and b) Group 2 performing Nordic walking or e-biking (NW&EB). Well-being was measured with the WHO-5 well-being-index; stress and recovery status was obtained with the EBF-24-questionnaire (recovery-stress questionnaire). HRV parameters in the time and frequency domain (SDNN, pNN50, r-MSSD, log LF/HF and total power) were measured with a 24-h-ECG (electrocardiogram). Sleep quality was derived from the EBF-24 questionnaire and sleep architecture from HRV-analysis. Examinations were performed one day before and after the vacation. RESULTS: Well-being significantly improved in the G group (+ 40%, p < 0.001) and NW&EB group (+ 19%, p = 0.019). The stress and recovery profile also improved significantly in both groups (stress-decrease: -43.7% G group; -44.7% NW&EB group; recovery-increase: + 23.6% G group; + 21.5% NW&EB group). Except for the SDNN (standard deviation of the NN interval), no significant change was noted in HRV-parameters. SDNN improved significantly only in the NW&EB group (+ 9%, p < 0.05). Sleep quality (+ 21% G group, p = 0.029; + 19% NW&EB group, p = 0.007) and architecture (-10% G group, p = 0.034; -23% NW&EB group, p = 0.012) significantly improved in both groups. CONCLUSION: A short-term vacation with regular exercise was well tolerated by the study participants and improved well-being, sleep quality, HRV and autonomic regulation. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Registry and the registration no. of the study/trial: Approval was received from the ethics committee of the Leopold Franzens University of Innsbruck (AN2013-0059 332/4.8).
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Hübner et al. (2022) conducted an observational in Healthy untrained vacationers (n=52). One-week vacation with regular exercise (golf or Nordic walking/e-biking) vs. Baseline (before vacation) was evaluated on Psychological well-being (WHO-5 index) (+40% (Golf) and +19% (NW&EB), p=<0.001 (Golf), 0.019 (NW&EB)). A one-week vacation with regular exercise significantly improved psychological well-being by 40% in the golf group and 19% in the Nordic walking/e-biking group compared to baseline.
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