A team of researchers from several leading universities in Spain and South America have found that taking 7,000 steps a day can reduce the risk of developing depression by 31 percent. The findings of the study were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
The researchers came to these conclusions as a result of a meta-analysis of 33 previously published studies involving 96,000 people. The research team collected data on the physical activity of volunteers using wearable devices.
Further analysis showed that walking has both a preventive and therapeutic effect. People suffering from depression reported a decrease in symptoms of this disorder as the number of steps increased. A significant improvement in mobility occurred when increasing the number of steps per day by 5,000, with the maximum effect being achieved at 7,500 steps.
The researchers found also that increasing the number of steps in daily life was associated with a lower risk of future depression. Each additional 1,000 steps reduced this risk by 9 percent, and mental health was most protected in those who took 10,000 steps per day.
Follow NEWS.am Medicine on Facebook and Twitter
month
week
day