Eric Brymer
Biographic Data
| ID | 1563495 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Eric Brymer |
| GIVEN NAMES | Eric |
| FAMILY NAME | Brymer |
| SIGNATURE | BRYMER E |
| AFFILIATIONS | Leeds Beckett University |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-0274-1016 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 26 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 120 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 26 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2007 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 7 |
The impact of nature-based physical activity on mental well-being
Mental health is a global concern, yet access to care remains limited. Nature-based physical activity (NBPA) interventions support traditional mental health services by promoting mental well-being. However, traditional theories such as stress reduction theory, psycho-evolutionary theory and self-determination theory do not fully explain NBPA’s benefits due to their dualist perspective (mind is separate from body and humans are separate from natur…
Australian and UK Perspectives on Social Prescribing Implementation Research
There has been a rapid increase in the delivery of social prescribing globally in recent years. However, a lack of theoretical framework, the diversity of social prescribing interventions and outcome measures, a lack of ongoing resources to provide services equitably and a lack of coordinated research agenda make it challenging for practitioners to know how best to put social prescribing into practice. This paper summarises perspectives from 29 U…
Developing a Consensus‐Based Nature Prescribing Framework for Australian Healthcare
Background: With growing interest in nature‐based interventions for health, establishing implementation frameworks for prescribing nature in diverse settings is crucial. This study aims to develop and validate a nature prescribing framework tailored for the Australian healthcare context, employing a Delphi methodology to harness expert consensus. Methods: The study utilised a two‐round Delphi technique to gather insights from experts across vario…
The Relationship Between Climate Change Issue Engagement, Connection to Nature and Mental Wellbeing
As the threat of climate change becomes increasingly prevalent for people in both the developed and developing world, the impact of climate change on mental wellbeing has become a crucial area of research. In addition to the direct, indirect, and psychosocial impacts of climate change on mental wellbeing, there is also a question of how climate change driven changes to the environment will influence the well-established positive relationship betw…
Getting Out of the Classroom and Into Nature
An ecological dynamics perspective on designing urban nature environments for wellbeing and health-enhancing physical activity
The latest World Health Organization report on green and blue space and mental health (2021) calls for greater, and better, urban nature environments, i. e., “wilder” urban parks, tree-laden sidewalks, and overall presence of nature in the urban environment. Evidence shows that living close to and interacting with nature promotes benefits to numerous health and well-being indicators. The present article narratively reviews what are the aspects of…
An Ecological Dynamics Approach to Understanding Human-Environment Interactions in the Adventure Sport Context—Implications for Research and Practice
The last few decades have witnessed a surge of interest in adventure sports, and has led to an emerging research focus on these activities. However, recent conceptual analyses and scientific reviews have highlighted a major, fundamental question that remains unresolved: what constitutes an adventure sport. Despite several proposals for definitions, the field still seems to lack a shared conceptualization. This deficit may be a serious limitation …
What Is an Extreme Sports Healthcare Provider
I remember when sex was safe and skydiving was dangerous" read a popular bumper sticker during the HIV crisis. Popular perceptions of extreme sport (ES) often include the descriptor 'dangerous'. Therefore, why is the popularity of ES increasing exponentially with "dedicated TV channels, internet sites, high-rating competitions, and high-profile sponsors drawing more participants"? More importantly, how should health practitioners respond to the i…
What Is So Special about Wingsuit Base Jumpers? A Comparative Study of Their Psychological Characteristics
For the general public, BASE jumping is considered the ultimate extreme activity. Among BASE jumpers, those using wingsuits are generally perceived as the most experienced but also as the most risk-taking. Starting from this observation, we wanted to know whether wingsuit users differed in their psychological characteristics from other BASE jumpers. More specifically, we hypothesized that wingsuit users would be characterized by higher levels of …
Adventure Psychology
Exploring perceptions of how nature recreation benefits mental wellbeing
Evidence suggests that experiences in nature enhance mental wellbeing. However, we are yet to clearly understand the processes through which this occurs. This study employed an exploratory qualitative approach to investigate how time spent in nature supports mental wellbeing. In-depth interviews were conducted with 15 participants. Thematic analysis yielded three dominant themes: (1) ‘a sense of perspective’, (2) ‘mental and emotional sanctuary’ …
Nature–Based Interventions for Improving Health and Wellbeing
Engagement with nature is an important part of many people’s lives, and the health and wellbeing benefits of nature–based activities are becoming increasingly recognised across disciplines from city planning to medicine. Despite this, urbanisation, challenges of modern life and environmental degradation are leading to a reduction in both the quantity and the quality of nature experiences. Nature–based health interventions (NBIs) can facilitate be…
Beyond risk
Adventure and extreme sports (AESs) are associated with high risk of injury and even death. This has important ramifications for sport, education, medical and health professions and has led to discussions about the appropriateness of AESs for young people. For some, participation in AESs reflects social deviance. Research from this perspective has focused on testing this notion. However, in recent years research has questioned the perceived link …
An ecological-phenomenological perspective on multispecies leisure and the horse-human relationship in events
More-than-human approaches open up theoretical and methodological space for considering if and how all animals, human and nonhuman, play important roles in shaping relationships, actions and encounters in leisure. This paper introduces an ecological-phenomenological framework for understanding relationships between animate actors and their environment in and through leisure. The example of human riders and horses in the context of a pleasure ride…
Understanding nature sports
Nature sports is a term used to describe a collection of physical activities that are frequently defined by characteristics of their environment or an inherent risk. These perspectives overlook new aspects of nature sports and motivations for participation, imposing an inaccurate perspective on the design and facilitation of learning experiences. Namely, that nature sports are undertaken by participants with an inherent need for risk. This paper …
Conceptualizing adventurous nature sport
Research and public policy has long supported links between traditional sports and well-being. However, adventurous nature sport literature has primarily focused on performance issues and deficit models of risk or sensation-seeking. This standpoint is limited by assumptions that participation is: (a) dependent on personality structures; (b) solely motivated by risk-taking and hedonism; (c) only attractive or accessible to a narrow demographic; an…
The Relationship between the Physical Activity Environment, Nature Relatedness, Anxiety, and the Psychological Well-being Benefits of Regular Exercisers
Research from a variety of scientific fields suggests that physical activity in nature and feelings of connection to nature enhance psychological health and wellbeing. This study investigated the psychological health and wellbeing impact of the physical activity environment for those already undertaking the recommended weekly amount of physical activity. This topic is important for the design of health and wellbeing environments and interventions…
Physical and Emotional Benefits of Different Exercise Environments Designed for Treadmill Running
(1) Background: Green physical activity promotes physical health and mental wellbeing and interesting questions concern effects of this information on designing indoor exercise environments. This study examined the physical and emotional effects of different nature-based environments designed for indoor treadmill running; (2) Methods: In a counterbalanced experimental design, 30 participants performed three, twenty-minute treadmill runs at a self…
The relationship between nature relatedness and anxiety
This study investigated the relationship between anxiety and feelings of being connected to nature. Two standardised self-report scales, the Nature Relatedness Scale and the State Trait Inventory for Cognitive and Somatic Anxiety, were used in tandem with a qualitative question. Quantitative results indicated that connection to nature was significantly related to lower levels of overall, state cognitive and trait cognitive anxiety. Qualitative re…
Understanding the Psychological Health and Well-Being Benefits of Physical Activity in Nature
There is growing evidence that contact with nature and physical activity in nature have considerable benefits for human health. Exposure to nature has been shown to improve psychological well-being, relieve stress, increase positive mood, enhance life skills, reduce mental fatigue, increase concentration, and reduce aggression. In this paper, we propose a functional perspective from ecological dynamics, which emphasizes the person-environment sca…
Extreme sports are good for your health
Extreme sports are traditionally explored from a risk-taking perspective which often assumes that participants do not experience fear. In this article we explore participants' experience of fear associated with participation in extreme sports. An interpretive phenomenological method was used with 15 participants. Four themes emerged: experience of fear, relationship to fear, management of fear, and fear and self-transformation. Participants' expe…
Ecological dynamics as a theoretical framework for development of sustainable behaviours towards the environment
This paper proposes how the theoretical framework of ecological dynamics can provide an influential model of the learner and the learning process to pre-empt effective behaviour changes. Here we argue that ecological dynamics supports a well-established model of the learner ideally suited to the environmental education context because of its emphasis on the learner–environment relationship. The model stems from perspectives on behaviour change in…
The Role of Nature-Based Experiences in the Development and Maintenance of Wellness
Wellness is now seen as central to redefining the National Health agenda. There is growing evidence that contact with nature and physical activity in nature has considerable positive effects on human health. At the most basic level humanity is reliant on the natural world for resources such as air and water. However, a growing body of research is finding that beyond this fundamental relationship exposure to the non-human natural world can also po…
Risk taking in Extreme Sports
Participation in extreme sports is enjoying incredible growth while more traditional recreational activities such as golf are struggling to maintain numbers. Theoretical perspectives on extreme sports and extreme sport participants have assumed that participation is about risk‐taking. However, these theory‐ driven methodologies may reflect judgments that do not necessarily relate to participants’ lived experience. In this paper I review current r…
Extreme Sports as a facilitator of ecocentricity and positive life changes
Extreme sports and extreme sports participants have been most commonly explored from a negative perspective, for example the ‘need to take unnecessary risks’. This study reports on findings that indicate a more positive experience. A phenomenological method was used via unstructured interviews with 15 extreme sports participants and other first hand accounts. The extreme sports included B.A.S.E. jumping, big wave surfing, extreme skiing, waterfal…
Extreme sports are good for your health
Extreme sports are traditionally explored from a risk-taking perspective which often assumes that participants do not experience fear. In this article we explore participants' experience of fear associated with participation in extreme sports. An interpretive phenomenological method was used with 15 participants. Four themes emerged: experience of fear, relationship to fear, management of fear, and fear and self-transformation. Participants' expe…
Extreme Sports
Extreme sports and extreme sports participants have been most commonly explored from a negative perspective, for example, the “need to take unnecessary risks.” This study explored what can be learned from extreme sports about courage and humility—two positive psychology constructs. A phenomenological method was used via unstructured interviews with 15 extreme sports participants and other firsthand accounts. The extreme sports included BASE (buil…
An ecological-phenomenological perspective on multispecies leisure and the horse-human relationship in events
More-than-human approaches open up theoretical and methodological space for considering if and how all animals, human and nonhuman, play important roles in shaping relationships, actions and encounters in leisure. This paper introduces an ecological-phenomenological framework for understanding relationships between animate actors and their environment in and through leisure. The example of human riders and horses in the context of a pleasure ride…
Conceptualizing adventurous nature sport
Research and public policy has long supported links between traditional sports and well-being. However, adventurous nature sport literature has primarily focused on performance issues and deficit models of risk or sensation-seeking. This standpoint is limited by assumptions that participation is: (a) dependent on personality structures; (b) solely motivated by risk-taking and hedonism; (c) only attractive or accessible to a narrow demographic; an…
Exploring perceptions of how nature recreation benefits mental wellbeing
Evidence suggests that experiences in nature enhance mental wellbeing. However, we are yet to clearly understand the processes through which this occurs. This study employed an exploratory qualitative approach to investigate how time spent in nature supports mental wellbeing. In-depth interviews were conducted with 15 participants. Thematic analysis yielded three dominant themes: (1) ‘a sense of perspective’, (2) ‘mental and emotional sanctuary’ …
The relationship between nature relatedness and anxiety
This study investigated the relationship between anxiety and feelings of being connected to nature. Two standardised self-report scales, the Nature Relatedness Scale and the State Trait Inventory for Cognitive and Somatic Anxiety, were used in tandem with a qualitative question. Quantitative results indicated that connection to nature was significantly related to lower levels of overall, state cognitive and trait cognitive anxiety. Qualitative re…
Risk taking in Extreme Sports
Participation in extreme sports is enjoying incredible growth while more traditional recreational activities such as golf are struggling to maintain numbers. Theoretical perspectives on extreme sports and extreme sport participants have assumed that participation is about risk‐taking. However, these theory‐ driven methodologies may reflect judgments that do not necessarily relate to participants’ lived experience. In this paper I review current r…
Ecological dynamics as a theoretical framework for development of sustainable behaviours towards the environment
This paper proposes how the theoretical framework of ecological dynamics can provide an influential model of the learner and the learning process to pre-empt effective behaviour changes. Here we argue that ecological dynamics supports a well-established model of the learner ideally suited to the environmental education context because of its emphasis on the learner–environment relationship. The model stems from perspectives on behaviour change in…
Beyond risk
Adventure and extreme sports (AESs) are associated with high risk of injury and even death. This has important ramifications for sport, education, medical and health professions and has led to discussions about the appropriateness of AESs for young people. For some, participation in AESs reflects social deviance. Research from this perspective has focused on testing this notion. However, in recent years research has questioned the perceived link …
Extreme Sports as a facilitator of ecocentricity and positive life changes
Extreme sports and extreme sports participants have been most commonly explored from a negative perspective, for example the ‘need to take unnecessary risks’. This study reports on findings that indicate a more positive experience. A phenomenological method was used via unstructured interviews with 15 extreme sports participants and other first hand accounts. The extreme sports included B.A.S.E. jumping, big wave surfing, extreme skiing, waterfal…
Extreme Sports
Extreme sports and extreme sports participants have been most commonly explored from a negative perspective, for example, the “need to take unnecessary risks.” This study explored what can be learned from extreme sports about courage and humility—two positive psychology constructs. A phenomenological method was used via unstructured interviews with 15 extreme sports participants and other firsthand accounts. The extreme sports included BASE (buil…
Extreme Sports as a facilitator of ecocentricity and positive life changes
Extreme sports and extreme sports participants have been most commonly explored from a negative perspective, for example the ‘need to take unnecessary risks’. This study reports on findings that indicate a more positive experience. A phenomenological method was used via unstructured interviews with 15 extreme sports participants and other first hand accounts. The extreme sports included B.A.S.E. jumping, big wave surfing, extreme skiing, waterfal…
The Role of Nature-Based Experiences in the Development and Maintenance of Wellness
Wellness is now seen as central to redefining the National Health agenda. There is growing evidence that contact with nature and physical activity in nature has considerable positive effects on human health. At the most basic level humanity is reliant on the natural world for resources such as air and water. However, a growing body of research is finding that beyond this fundamental relationship exposure to the non-human natural world can also po…
Risk taking in Extreme Sports
Participation in extreme sports is enjoying incredible growth while more traditional recreational activities such as golf are struggling to maintain numbers. Theoretical perspectives on extreme sports and extreme sport participants have assumed that participation is about risk‐taking. However, these theory‐ driven methodologies may reflect judgments that do not necessarily relate to participants’ lived experience. In this paper I review current r…
Ecological dynamics as a theoretical framework for development of sustainable behaviours towards the environment
This paper proposes how the theoretical framework of ecological dynamics can provide an influential model of the learner and the learning process to pre-empt effective behaviour changes. Here we argue that ecological dynamics supports a well-established model of the learner ideally suited to the environmental education context because of its emphasis on the learner–environment relationship. The model stems from perspectives on behaviour change in…
Extreme sports are good for your health
Extreme sports are traditionally explored from a risk-taking perspective which often assumes that participants do not experience fear. In this article we explore participants' experience of fear associated with participation in extreme sports. An interpretive phenomenological method was used with 15 participants. Four themes emerged: experience of fear, relationship to fear, management of fear, and fear and self-transformation. Participants' expe…
Understanding the Psychological Health and Well-Being Benefits of Physical Activity in Nature
There is growing evidence that contact with nature and physical activity in nature have considerable benefits for human health. Exposure to nature has been shown to improve psychological well-being, relieve stress, increase positive mood, enhance life skills, reduce mental fatigue, increase concentration, and reduce aggression. In this paper, we propose a functional perspective from ecological dynamics, which emphasizes the person-environment sca…
The relationship between nature relatedness and anxiety
This study investigated the relationship between anxiety and feelings of being connected to nature. Two standardised self-report scales, the Nature Relatedness Scale and the State Trait Inventory for Cognitive and Somatic Anxiety, were used in tandem with a qualitative question. Quantitative results indicated that connection to nature was significantly related to lower levels of overall, state cognitive and trait cognitive anxiety. Qualitative re…
The Relationship between the Physical Activity Environment, Nature Relatedness, Anxiety, and the Psychological Well-being Benefits of Regular Exercisers
Research from a variety of scientific fields suggests that physical activity in nature and feelings of connection to nature enhance psychological health and wellbeing. This study investigated the psychological health and wellbeing impact of the physical activity environment for those already undertaking the recommended weekly amount of physical activity. This topic is important for the design of health and wellbeing environments and interventions…
Physical and Emotional Benefits of Different Exercise Environments Designed for Treadmill Running
(1) Background: Green physical activity promotes physical health and mental wellbeing and interesting questions concern effects of this information on designing indoor exercise environments. This study examined the physical and emotional effects of different nature-based environments designed for indoor treadmill running; (2) Methods: In a counterbalanced experimental design, 30 participants performed three, twenty-minute treadmill runs at a self…
Understanding nature sports
Nature sports is a term used to describe a collection of physical activities that are frequently defined by characteristics of their environment or an inherent risk. These perspectives overlook new aspects of nature sports and motivations for participation, imposing an inaccurate perspective on the design and facilitation of learning experiences. Namely, that nature sports are undertaken by participants with an inherent need for risk. This paper …
Conceptualizing adventurous nature sport
Research and public policy has long supported links between traditional sports and well-being. However, adventurous nature sport literature has primarily focused on performance issues and deficit models of risk or sensation-seeking. This standpoint is limited by assumptions that participation is: (a) dependent on personality structures; (b) solely motivated by risk-taking and hedonism; (c) only attractive or accessible to a narrow demographic; an…
Nature–Based Interventions for Improving Health and Wellbeing
Engagement with nature is an important part of many people’s lives, and the health and wellbeing benefits of nature–based activities are becoming increasingly recognised across disciplines from city planning to medicine. Despite this, urbanisation, challenges of modern life and environmental degradation are leading to a reduction in both the quantity and the quality of nature experiences. Nature–based health interventions (NBIs) can facilitate be…
Beyond risk
Adventure and extreme sports (AESs) are associated with high risk of injury and even death. This has important ramifications for sport, education, medical and health professions and has led to discussions about the appropriateness of AESs for young people. For some, participation in AESs reflects social deviance. Research from this perspective has focused on testing this notion. However, in recent years research has questioned the perceived link …
An ecological-phenomenological perspective on multispecies leisure and the horse-human relationship in events
More-than-human approaches open up theoretical and methodological space for considering if and how all animals, human and nonhuman, play important roles in shaping relationships, actions and encounters in leisure. This paper introduces an ecological-phenomenological framework for understanding relationships between animate actors and their environment in and through leisure. The example of human riders and horses in the context of a pleasure ride…
Exploring perceptions of how nature recreation benefits mental wellbeing
Evidence suggests that experiences in nature enhance mental wellbeing. However, we are yet to clearly understand the processes through which this occurs. This study employed an exploratory qualitative approach to investigate how time spent in nature supports mental wellbeing. In-depth interviews were conducted with 15 participants. Thematic analysis yielded three dominant themes: (1) ‘a sense of perspective’, (2) ‘mental and emotional sanctuary’ …
The Relationship Between Climate Change Issue Engagement, Connection to Nature and Mental Wellbeing
As the threat of climate change becomes increasingly prevalent for people in both the developed and developing world, the impact of climate change on mental wellbeing has become a crucial area of research. In addition to the direct, indirect, and psychosocial impacts of climate change on mental wellbeing, there is also a question of how climate change driven changes to the environment will influence the well-established positive relationship betw…
Getting Out of the Classroom and Into Nature
An ecological dynamics perspective on designing urban nature environments for wellbeing and health-enhancing physical activity
The latest World Health Organization report on green and blue space and mental health (2021) calls for greater, and better, urban nature environments, i. e., “wilder” urban parks, tree-laden sidewalks, and overall presence of nature in the urban environment. Evidence shows that living close to and interacting with nature promotes benefits to numerous health and well-being indicators. The present article narratively reviews what are the aspects of…
An Ecological Dynamics Approach to Understanding Human-Environment Interactions in the Adventure Sport Context—Implications for Research and Practice
The last few decades have witnessed a surge of interest in adventure sports, and has led to an emerging research focus on these activities. However, recent conceptual analyses and scientific reviews have highlighted a major, fundamental question that remains unresolved: what constitutes an adventure sport. Despite several proposals for definitions, the field still seems to lack a shared conceptualization. This deficit may be a serious limitation …
What Is an Extreme Sports Healthcare Provider
I remember when sex was safe and skydiving was dangerous" read a popular bumper sticker during the HIV crisis. Popular perceptions of extreme sport (ES) often include the descriptor 'dangerous'. Therefore, why is the popularity of ES increasing exponentially with "dedicated TV channels, internet sites, high-rating competitions, and high-profile sponsors drawing more participants"? More importantly, how should health practitioners respond to the i…
What Is So Special about Wingsuit Base Jumpers? A Comparative Study of Their Psychological Characteristics
For the general public, BASE jumping is considered the ultimate extreme activity. Among BASE jumpers, those using wingsuits are generally perceived as the most experienced but also as the most risk-taking. Starting from this observation, we wanted to know whether wingsuit users differed in their psychological characteristics from other BASE jumpers. More specifically, we hypothesized that wingsuit users would be characterized by higher levels of …
Adventure Psychology
Australian and UK Perspectives on Social Prescribing Implementation Research
There has been a rapid increase in the delivery of social prescribing globally in recent years. However, a lack of theoretical framework, the diversity of social prescribing interventions and outcome measures, a lack of ongoing resources to provide services equitably and a lack of coordinated research agenda make it challenging for practitioners to know how best to put social prescribing into practice. This paper summarises perspectives from 29 U…
Developing a Consensus‐Based Nature Prescribing Framework for Australian Healthcare
Background: With growing interest in nature‐based interventions for health, establishing implementation frameworks for prescribing nature in diverse settings is crucial. This study aims to develop and validate a nature prescribing framework tailored for the Australian healthcare context, employing a Delphi methodology to harness expert consensus. Methods: The study utilised a two‐round Delphi technique to gather insights from experts across vario…
Psychology (22 works) · Social Psychology (15 works) · Social Psychology (15 works) · Computer Science (11 works) · Perspective (graphical (11 works) · Urban Green Space and Health (11 works) · Adventure Sports and Sensation Seeking (10 works) · Outdoor and Experiential Education (9 works) · Political science (9 works) · Medicine (8 works)