More than 330 million people currently suffer from depression worldwide, although the complexity of diagnosis and the heterogeneity of this disease mean that such a figure can only be a conservative estimate.
Depressive disorders are a leading cause of disability and affect multiple aspects of a person’s quality of life, including emotional well-being, social relationships, functional abilities and physical health. Fortunately, we have ways to prevent them from taking hold, and physical activity is one of them.
The risk of developing depression is influenced by a series of interconnected genetic, biological, psychological, environmental, social and behavioral factors. Among these, elements of an unhealthy lifestyle, such as lack of regular physical activity, can play a key role in deteriorating mental health.
Identifying these risks and encouraging a preventive attitude is therefore crucial to reduce the prevalence of depression and improve people’s overall quality of life.
We don’t exercise enough
Physical activity is an integral part of a healthy lifestyle, but globally, 81% of adolescents and 31% of adults do not meet recommended guidelines.
At the same time, two-thirds of the world’s regions are experiencing increasingly insufficient levels of physical activity. In 2019, this contributed to 830,000 deaths and the loss of 16 million disability-adjusted life years worldwide. These numbers have increased by approximately 84% since 1990.
Researcher Steven Blair studied the fractions attributable to deaths from all causes according to different risk factors, and argued as early as 2009 that “physical inactivity is one of the most important public health problems of the 21st century.” More recent evidence supports his statement; physical activity should be a global public health priority.
An active lifestyle can help prevent depression through biological (such as neurogenesis and reduced inflammation) and psychosocial (such as self-esteem and social support) mechanisms. However, any potential benefits are outweighed by the overall increase in insufficient levels of physical activity over recent decades.
This change in lifestyles not only increases the incidence of obesity, non-communicable diseases and premature mortality. It also contributes to environmental degradation and takes a toll on our economies through healthcare costs and lost productivity. Several factors are to blame, including rapid urbanization, sedentary work patterns and modern transportation systems.
Progress towards the World Health Organization (WHO) target of a 15% relative reduction in insufficient levels of physical activity by 2030 has been slow. If current trends continue, we will not achieve the proposed goal.
According to the WHO report on the global state of physical activity in 2022, which brought together data from 166 countries, less than a third of national governments had guidelines for all age groups, and only about 40% had pedestrian-friendly road design standards. Promoting physical activity among the general population remains a challenge.
Counting daily steps: a preventive strategy
Counting daily steps is a simple, intuitive and objective way to get people active. Studies have shown that step counts can help people achieve recommended levels of physical activity. Fortunately, it’s getting easier to track this thanks to wearable devices like fitness trackers and smartwatches.
The use of trackers allowing continuous self-monitoring and the incorporation of simple goals have shown a beneficial effect on increasing daily steps in adults.
The link between step count and depression
To determine the link between step count and depression, I recently conducted, with a team of other researchers from Spain and Latin America, a review of the scientific literature. We synthesized the results of 33 studies, involving a total of 96,173 adults of all ages.
We found that reaching 5,000 steps or more per day was associated with fewer depressive symptoms, and the prevalence of depression was 42% lower among adults who took 7,500 steps or more per day. In longitudinal studies lasting 2 to 7 years, involving people who did not have depression at baseline, an increase in step count by 1,000 steps per day showed a 9% reduction in the risk of developing depression. Those who reached 7,000 steps or more each day had a 31% lower risk.
Counting daily steps can greatly help people do more physical activity (Source: Freepik)
These results confirm those of previous studies; even modest levels of physical activity can protect against depression.
Our findings should also be considered in light of previous research on what types of physical activity are most effective in preventing depression: a recent study, for example, found that other forms of physical activity like walking and yoga are equally effective.
Other features of physical activitysuch as intensity, as well as other elements such as environment, age and individual risk of mental disorders, can also influence depressive symptoms.
Counting daily steps can greatly help people get more physical activity, which helps prevent depression, although there is a clear need for additional longitudinal studies to clarify the protective role of daily step counts in prevention of depression in adulthood.
However, if you’ve made it this far, we recommend you stop reading and go out for a walk.
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