As Daily Steps Rise, Depression Levels Fall

Follow Drugslib on

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on Dec 16, 2024.

By Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, Dec. 16, 2024 -- Can you literally step away from depression?

A new global review of data found that "increasing the number of daily steps, even at modest levels, was associated with a reduction in depressive symptoms."

The Spanish study found that up to a level of about 10,000 steps per day, the odds for depression decline as daily step levels rise.

The findings were published Dec. 16 in the journal JAMA Network Open.

Researchers led by Estela Jimenez-Lopez, of the University of Castile-La Mancha, noted there's already solid evidence that exercise of any kind is a natural antidepressant. But what about something as easy as walking?

To find out, they looked at data from high-quality studies on daily step counts and their links to mental health.

In total, the new review covered 33 studies involving a total of more than 96,000 adults worldwide. Studies included people who used fitness-tracker devices to calculate their daily steps.

Compared to a baseline of 5,000 steps taken per day, folks who took even 1,000 more steps daily saw a 9% drop in their odds for developing depression, the researchers found.

Those benefits quickly mounted up: Compared to folks walking 5,000 steps per day or less, those who walked 7,000 steps/day had a 31% lower odds for depression, the study found.

"In addition, counts above 7,500 steps/d were associated with a 43% lower prevalence of depression," Jimenez-Lopez and colleagues wrote, and those trends held true for "all age groups, [and] females and males."

There did seem to be a leveling out of mental health benefits at about 10,000 steps per day, the data showed.

As has been observed in studies on physical health, "increasing the number of steps [beyond 10,000/d] may not be associated with a significant reduction in depressive symptoms," the researchers wrote.

The new findings add walking to many other forms of physical activity -- aerobics, weight training, yoga and even tai chi -- as ways to help keep depression at bay, the researchers said.

The bottom line: "Setting goals for the number of daily steps may be a promising and inclusive public health strategy for the prevention of depression," the study authors concluded.

Sources

  • JAMA Network Open, Dec. 16, 2024

    • Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

    Source: HealthDay

    Posted : 2024-12-17 06:00

    Read more

    Disclaimer

    Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Drugslib.com is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Drugslib.com information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Drugslib.com does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Drugslib.com's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Drugslib.com's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners.

    The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Drugslib.com does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Drugslib.com provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

    Popular Keywords