If you want to get moving to boost your mood, you might not need as many daily steps as you think to reduce your risk of depression.
A comprehensive analysis of 33 studies, which included nearly 100,000 participants, suggests that walking just 5,000 steps per day may be enough to help alleviate symptoms of depression, according to research published in JAMA Network Open.
Further findings from the study indicate that individuals who took at least 7,000 steps per day experienced a 31 percent lower risk of depressive symptoms compared to those who walked less.
Small Steps, Big Impact on Mood
For individuals who struggle to maintain an exercise routine, even small increases in daily step count can make a significant difference. The research found that every additional 1,000 steps per day was associated with a 9 percent reduction in depressive symptoms.
“Getting more daily steps promotes mental health by enhancing brain function, improving mood, reducing stress, and encouraging positive behaviors,” says study coauthor Estela Jiménez López, PhD, of the Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha in Cuenca, Spain.
Dr. Jiménez López further explains that, “Daily steps could play a pivotal role in accumulating regular physical activity in an unstructured manner and are a good option to break the cycle of some common perceived physical activity barriers such as low energy or fear of injury, which are particularly relevant in individuals experiencing depressive symptoms.”
How Daily Steps Influence Mood
The analysis examined data from individuals who used fitness trackers to measure their daily step counts. Researchers then assessed the connection between step counts and mood by determining whether participants had a formal diagnosis of depression or reported depressive symptoms in mental health questionnaires.
The study included participants with step counts ranging from approximately 2,900 to 10,000 per day, with most individuals tracking their steps for about a week.
However, one limitation of the study is that researchers lacked long-term data on how step counts might influence mood over extended periods. Additionally, they were unable to determine whether exceeding 10,000 daily steps would result in even greater mental health benefits.
Walking for a Better Mood in Just a Few Weeks
It remains unclear whether individuals who are already active will experience added mental health benefits from walking beyond 90 minutes per session or exercising more than five days per week. Adam Chekroud, PhD, an adjunct assistant professor of psychiatry at Yale University and cofounder and president of the mental health startup Spring Health in New York City, believes that additional activity may provide diminishing returns for those who are already active.
“If you are already active, additional activity might offer diminishing returns,” says Dr. Chekroud, who was not involved in the study. “However, for sedentary individuals, beginning with even light activity can have profound benefits.”
For those who lead sedentary lifestyles, Chekroud suggests that simply starting to walk for 20 to 30 minutes a day, three times a week, could significantly help reduce depressive symptoms.
“The improvement in mood can often be seen within a few weeks of starting regular physical activity,” he adds.
The Takeaway: Start Walking for Mental Well-Being
The findings from this study provide encouraging evidence that walking does not have to be strenuous or time-consuming to have mental health benefits. Even modest increases in daily step counts can lead to meaningful reductions in depressive symptoms, offering a simple yet effective approach to improving mood and overall well-being.
Whether starting with a short daily walk or gradually increasing step counts over time, moving more each day can be a powerful tool in promoting better mental health.