Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Health & Fitness

How many steps should you walk a day to reduce symptoms of depression? New study

We often hear about 10,000 steps a day. What does the new research show?

By
Man walking outside with coat in nature
Tamar Willoughby / Pexels

Research highlights how exercise boosts mood and prompts the release of feel-good endorphins. Previous studies have shown that physical activity can help reduce the symptoms of depression and other psychological conditions. We also know that exercise reduces levels of stress hormones.

Walking is one way to get your body moving, and there’s also plenty of research on how walking can improve your health and wellness. Walking is a form of movement that simply involves putting one foot in front of the other, and it’s usually more preferable and accessible for many people. Recently, researchers wanted to know how many steps you should walk per day to reduce the symptoms of depression and to help you live longer. We often hear about 10,000 steps a day. What does the new research show? Let’s take a look.

Recommended Videos

The study

Man walking on the beach
Dajana Reci / Pexels

In the study published in Jama Network Open, researchers analyzed 33 different studies involving 100,000 people. The study participants wore pedometers to measure their step counts. They were divided into three groups:

  • Low step count — Less than 7,000 steps per day.
  • Moderate step count — Between 7,000 and 10,000 steps per day.
  • High step count — 10,000 steps per day or more.

Participants filled out questionnaires about their mental health. Researchers considered factors like BMI or body mass index, smoking, and diet.

Related

The results

Man in suit pants walking up stairs
Marus Cirpaci / Pexels

These are the results:

  • Participants who managed 7,000 steps per day were 31% less likely to suffer from symptoms of depression.
  • Doing 10,000 steps per day didn’t provide any further benefits regarding depression or mortality risk.
  • The intensity or walking pace didn’t make a difference, as long as people got 7,000 steps daily.

The takeaway

man walking his dog husky
Ninobur / Pexels

While we keep hearing about getting your 10,000 steps in per day, this new research shows that 7,000 steps are enough to help reduce the symptoms of depression. If you can’t manage the popular 10,000, it seems 7,000 could be the new sweet spot. Tracking your steps is easier with the advent of fitness trackers and wearables. If you’d prefer a gentler stroll over a power walk, this research shows consistency matters more than intensity.

Editors’ Recommendations

Topics
Steph Green
Steph Green
Steph Green is a content writer specializing in healthcare, wellness, and nutrition. With over ten years of experience, she…
Should you take creatine before or after workout sessions?
Discover the ideal timing for supplementation
Man drinking pre workout.

Creatine is one of the most researched and effective supplements for improving strength, muscle growth, and exercise performance. However, there’s ongoing debate about whether it’s best to take creatine before or after a workout.

Some believe pre-workout creatine boosts energy and performance, while others argue that post-workout supplementation enhances recovery and muscle growth, but what does the science say? Continue reading to find out.
What is creatine?

Read more
Does zapping muscles with EMS while weightlifting boost strength? New study
If building more strength and muscle mass is one of your New Year’s fitness resolutions, this new study is worth looking at.
man helping woman do squats wearing EMS suit exercise electrical muscle stimulation

Research and often our own experience show us that resistance training and weightlifting are effective for making those muscles bigger and more powerful. Powerlifters, gym goers, and fitness buffs are always looking for ways to maximize weightlifting results and augment strength even more.

If building more strength and muscle mass is one of your New Year’s fitness resolutions, this new study is worth looking at. Researchers looked at the effects of zapping muscles with neuromuscular electrical stimulation or NMES while weightlifting. Let’s delve into the new research.
What is neuromuscular electrical stimulation?

Read more
Study shows how long you have to exercise to lower your risk of 19 conditions
It turns out you don’t have to work out for hours every day to protect yourself from so many diseases.
man on treadmill picture running by window

We’ve already seen plenty of research showing us the many benefits of exercise, from lowering blood pressure to perking up your mood. We’re already convinced, but the research keeps coming, and a new study reveals how many minutes of heart rate-raising exercise you need to do every day to lower your risk of 19 health conditions. That’s worth knowing about, especially with the rates of chronic disease on the rise in the United States.

Seeing more and more people interested in prioritizing health and fitness is refreshing, and this new study gives us another reason to go for that run or stay true to that workout schedule. It turns out you don’t have to work out for hours to protect yourself from this many diseases. Let’s look at the new research.
The study

Read more