Getting a certain number of daily steps has long been known to improve overall health – and now new research has identified how many you need to keep depression at bay.
A research team led by Bruno Bizzozero-Peroni, PhD, from the Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha in Cuenca, Spain, analyzed 33 studies involving 96,173 adults.
When comparing adults’ daily step counts and stress levels, they found that people with higher daily step counts tended to have fewer symptoms of depression, according to the study’s findings, published in JAMA Network Open last week.
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Getting 5,000 steps or more was linked to reduced symptoms of depression, while a step count of 7,000 or more was associated with a lower risk of depression, the researchers found.
“Our results showed a significant correlation between high numbers of daily steps and fewer symptoms of depression, as well as low prevalence and risk of depression in adults,” the authors wrote in the findings.
People with higher numbers of daily steps tend to have fewer symptoms of depression, according to study results. (Stock)
“Targeted measurement of daily activities may represent an integrative and comprehensive public health approach with potential to prevent depression.”
More than 7% of US adults have been diagnosed with depression, and those between the ages of 12 and 25 years old are most affected, according to data from the National Institute of Mental Health.
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Dr. Marc Siegel, a professor of medicine at NYU Langone Health and senior medical analyst for Fox News, was not involved in the study but commented on the review.
“This is a broad analysis of over 30 observational studies, so it needs to be followed up with randomized studies,” he told Fox News Digital.
Previous research has found that walking has effects on brain networks important for improving mood, stress and anxiety, one expert told Fox News Digital. (Stock)
“There is already a lot of evidence, including this study, that exercise is associated with improved mood, a natural antidepressant.”
The reason that a higher number of steps reduces depression is not only mental, says the doctor – it is also physical.
“Exercise increases the release of ‘happy hormones’ – dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin,” added Siegel.
“The more we sit, or the more we sit, the more stressed we become.”
Previous studies have found that walking has effects on brain networks important for improving mood, depression and anxiety, according to Dr. Richard A. Bermudes, a psychiatrist and chief medical officer of BrainsWay in Nevada.
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“The more we sit, or the more we sit, the more stressed we become,” Bermudes, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital.
More than 7% of US adults have been diagnosed with depression, and those between the ages of 12 and 25 years old are most affected, according to data from the National Institute of Mental Health. (Stock)
“We also know that there is an incremental benefit to walking – every increase of 1,000 steps per day was associated with a 9% lower risk of depression.”
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Genetics, psychological factors and social stress also play a role in depression, he noted.
“However, we know that exposure to natural light, regular movement and walking in natural or natural environments have positive effects on mood.”
Exposure to natural light, regular movement and walking in nature or nature have positive effects on mood, one expert noted. (Stock)
Bermudas encourages those struggling with depression to “take it one step at a time.”
“For those who have severe depression, try continuously every day, increase by 100 steps each day,” he suggested.
“If you work and are stuck at a desk most days, schedule a 15-minute break to exercise your brain by taking a walk.”
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Walking outdoors is more beneficial, Bermudas adds, as it provides exposure to natural light.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the study’s researchers for comment.
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