Dear Doctors: I saw on TV about a study that says walking helps if you are depressed. I would like to know how the research was conducted and how this conclusion was reached. I get to feeling low every few months and would be happy if taking up walking could break the cycle.
Dear Reader: You are referring to research that found that the farther you walk on a regular basis, the less likely you are to feel depressed. The study appeared last year in Jama Network Open, which is a peer-reviewed medical journal published by the American Medical Association. The study was conducted by researchers in universities located in Spain, Chile and Uruguay. According to the findings, the mental health benefits of walking became apparent when study participants took as few as 1,000 steps per day. This correlated to a 10% decrease in depression. They reached a peak effect among participants who took more than 7,500 steps per day, who were 42% less likely to experience the symptoms of depression.
To arrive at this conclusion, the researchers conducted what is known as a meta-analysis. This entails combining information gathered from multiple existing studies, analyzing the expanded data set and then drawing additional or new conclusions.
In this case, the researchers looked at information collected from more than 96,000 adults who had participated in 33 different studies. Each study focused on the effects of physical activity and included how many steps the participants took each day. Step counts were measured with the use of various types of fitness trackers, pedometers and smartphones. In selecting the studies to include in their new data set, the researchers chose only those that addressed the possible effects of daily walking on the symptoms of depression.
This isn’t the first time that regular physical activity has been linked to improved mental and emotional health. A significant body of research has found that people who exercise regularly experience less anxiety, have better sleep, have a better self-image and have improved mood and concentration. This is due to the release of a range of neurochemicals and hormones, including endorphins and serotonin, which are produced when the body exercises. Regular exercise also bolsters the health and diversity of the gut microbiome, which plays an important role in mental and emotional health.
This walking study is particularly interesting because it focuses on a single activity and quantifies the expected improvements. The data show that walking even short distances benefits mental health. It is also important to note that additional factors play a role in how each person responds to daily walking. These include age, sex, physical health, social connections and genetic risk of mental health disorders. In this study, none of the participants had a diagnosis of major depression. That means the results may not apply to people who are already living with a depression disorder.
As with any new exercise, it’s a good idea to start small and build slowly. By choosing reasonable goals and making the activity enjoyable, you increase the likelihood of making walking a permanent part of your life.
(Send your questions to [email protected], or write: Ask the Doctors, c/o UCLA Health Sciences Media Relations, 10960 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1955, Los Angeles, CA, 90024. Owing to the volume of mail, personal replies cannot be provided.)
