Want to improve your mood? Go for a walk.
That’s the conclusion of new research that reviews more than 30 published observational studies on step count and depressive symptoms. A meta-analysis, published in JAMA Network Open,found a link between a daily total of just 5,000 steps and reduced symptoms in people without clinical depression.
The more steps people took (up to 10,000), the lower the risk of depression.
“This means that there is a relationship between the number of steps and symptoms of depression,” Natalie Dattilo-Rian, PhDclinical psychologist and instructor at Harvard Medical School and owner of Priority Wellness Therapy, said Health.
In conducting this study, the research team wanted to consolidate existing research on step count and risk of depression. They hope their results will inform realistic public health strategies to increase physical activity levels and prevent depression.
“Objective measurement of daily steps may represent an inclusive and comprehensive public health approach that has the potential to prevent depression,” the authors wrote.
Walking has been extensively studied as an antidepressant activity. A systematic review and meta-analysis from July 2024 JMIR Public health and surveillancefor example, they found that walking can effectively reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety and can serve as an evidence-based intervention for these conditions.
However, the newly published study is among the first to analyze the impact of step count on mental health on a mass scale. The research team examined the results of 33 observational studies involving 96,173 adults aged 18 to 91, which included objective measures of daily step count and depression data.
From this extensive pool of information, the researchers determined 5,000 steps per day as the number that started to move the needle on depression symptoms.
However, even small increases in the number of steps led to improvements in mental health. For each daily increase of 1,000 steps, subjects experienced an average 9% reduction in developing depression over time.
“The results of our study suggest that increased daily steps, even at modest levels, are associated with a reduction in depressive symptoms,” study author Bruno Bizzozero-Peroni, PhD, MPH, of the Center for Health and Social Research at the University of Castilla-La Mancha , said Health.
Meanwhile, taking 7,000 to 10,000 steps a day reduced the risk of depression even more. Compared to those with a sedentary lifestyle of less than 5,000 steps per day, people who exceeded 7,000 daily steps had a 31% lower risk of depression.
However, there was a plateau at about 10,000 steps. “Our synthesis of the available evidence found no additional benefits in reducing depressive symptoms above 10,000 steps per day, compared with daily steps between 7,500 and 9,999,” Bizzozero-Peroni said.
However, it is important to note that the findings are correlational, not causal, Dattilo-Rian pointed out.
“We still can’t say that just walking a certain number of steps a day is the cause of the reduction in symptoms,” she said. “It’s possible that people who walk 5,000-10,000 steps a day also practice healthier eating and sleeping habits, maintain healthy social connections, manage stress better, etc.”
It is well known that exercise and mental health go hand in hand. “Any physical activity can reduce or alleviate symptoms of depression in some individuals,” Dr. Teresa Berend Fletchersaid the Sport & Human Performance Program Director at Adler University Health in the email. But walking may have some clear benefits for alleviating or preventing depression.
According to Milica McDowell, DPTcertified exercise physiologist and vice president of operations at Gait Happens, the rhythmic nature of walking may contribute to its mood-elevating potential.
“Rhythmic movement is often helpful in bringing individuals closer to a state of flow,” she said. “Compared to high-stress sports like pickleball or CrossFit that require a high level of skill, precision and attention, you can get ‘lost’ in a walk, and this can help reduce problem fixation or negative headspace.”
Another possibility behind the improvement in mood while walking is the muscle groups involved.
“Contractions of your large muscle groups (such as glutes, hamstrings, lower back and core) increase overall blood flow and tissue temperature, which can improve feelings of well-being,” McDowell said. “Using large muscle groups also affects your testosterone and arousal levels, which tend to raise people’s mental states, not lower them.”
If you want to increase the number of steps – and potentially reduce the feeling of the blue – there are several ways to do it.
Behrend Fletcher recommends starting small, both with the frequency of your walks and the amount of steps you take.
“Set your expectations at a very achievable level (such as ‘I’ll add walking one to two days a week’ versus ‘I’ll walk seven days a week’),” advises Behrend Fletcher. “Even walking an extra 500 to 1,000 steps a day can make a significant difference in your health and build walking habit.
Datillo-Ryan, meanwhile, encourages making your walking more enjoyable and interesting by combining it with socializing, time in nature, or mental tests. “Challenge yourself to see how many new things you can spot, how fast you can complete your lap, or how aware you can be,” she suggested.