Walking can reduce symptoms of depression

The steps we take every day can reduce symptoms of depression, according to a new study.
A study published in the journal JAMA Network Open found that a greater number of daily steps was associated with fewer depressive symptoms, CNN reports.
"Our study provides further evidence that encouraging people to be active, regardless of the type or intensity of activity, is an effective strategy to prevent depression," said lead study author Dr. Bruno Bizozero-Peroni, a postdoctoral fellow at the Center for Health and Social Research at the University of Castilla-La Mancha in Spain.
The study was a meta-analysis that looked at 33 studies involving more than 96,000 adults.
The data suggest that the number of steps involved in reducing depression symptoms is smaller than might be assumed, explained Dr. Carmel Choi, a clinical psychologist and associate professor at Harvard Medical School. Choi was not involved in the study.
"Usually we hear that it's good to take 10,000 steps a day, but here even 7,000 steps seems to affect better mental health," she said.
Particularly encouraging is that even a small increase in the number of daily steps can help - just 1,000 extra steps a day can potentially reduce the risk of future depression by 9%, pointed out Dr Brendan Stubbs, an advanced fellow at the National Institute for Health and Care Research at King's College London. Stubbs was not involved in the latest study.
More research is needed, however, because the studies included in the meta-analysis were mostly observational and focused on the general population rather than people with clinical depression, meaning researchers can't say whether taking steps affects depression or whether people with depression simply move less, Choi concluded. | BGNES