A study shows that taking just 1,000 extra steps each day can lower your chances of getting depression.
A new study shows that your daily actions can help lower symptoms of sadness.
A study released on Monday in the journal JAMA Network Open found that walking more each day is linked to fewer signs of depression.
“Our study provides further evidence that encouraging people to be active, regardless of the type or intensity of the activity, is an effective strategy for preventing depression,” said lead author of the study Dr. Bruno Bizzozero-Peroni, a postdoctoral researcher at the Health and Social Research Centre, University of Castilla-La Mancha in Spain.
The research was a meta-analysis that looked at 33 studies with over 96,000 people. Dr. Karmel Choi, a clinical psychologist and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School, said that the data shows you don’t need to take a lot of steps to see a decrease in sadness symptoms. Choi did not take part in the study.
“We often hear that it’s good to take 10,000 steps a day, but it looks like even 7,000 steps can improve mental health,” she said.
Even a small increase in the number of steps you take each day can be helpful. Just adding 1,000 more steps daily could lower the chance of getting depressed in the future by 9%, according to Dr. Brendon Stubbs from King’s College London. Stubbs did not take part in the latest study.
More research is necessary because the studies in the meta-analysis mostly looked at general populations and were observational. This means researchers can’t determine if taking action helps reduce depression or if people with depression simply tend to be less active, Choi explained.
The actions that are effective for you.
There are still some gaps in the study that need to be addressed, but it’s not surprising that more movement is linked to a decrease in depression symptoms. Choi said that taking more steps isn’t the only way to improve your mental health.
“Counting steps is a good way to measure physical activity, which has been proven to help reduce the risk of depression,” she said. We should keep in mind that step counts are best for tracking activities like walking or running, but they may not work as well for things like yoga.
Experts want to make physical activity advice more flexible to better match what motivates each person, according to Choi.
The current advice focuses on spending 150 minutes a week doing mild to vigorous exercise, she said.
“Pick the metric that inspires you the most,” Choi said. “Research shows that any amount of movement, whether it’s taking steps or spending hours active, is better for mental health than not moving at all.”
Where to look for inspiration.
Many people find it hard to stay motivated to exercise, and having sadness can make it even tougher to begin.
Dr. Michael Noetel, a senior professor in psychology at the University of Queensland in Australia, mentioned in an earlier article that setting goals and keeping track of activities doesn’t always lead to success. Noetel did not take part in the 2024 study.
“Instead, I believe we should rely on proven knowledge about what works,” he said, emphasizing the importance of help and accountability.
You can find support by joining an exercise group, hiring a trainer, or asking a friend or family member to walk with you, Noetel said.
“Making some progress towards getting that support increases the chances you’ll continue,” he said.
Whether you prefer weight training or walking, it’s important to make the exercise fun so you can stick with it.
“Help your future self by making exercise simple and enjoyable. Try getting an audiobook or a free trial at a yoga studio,” Noetel said.
If you enjoy your workouts, you will feel more confidence in facing challenges with exercise. This makes it more likely that you will stick to your routine, according to a study from 2015.
“Be gentle with yourself if it’s difficult. We often forget how life can interfere with exercise, so create a backup plan as if your happiness relies on it,” Noetel said. “Because it does.”
