20-minute brisk walks can dramatically reduce depression risk, research finds. Findings remained consistent even after accounting for factors such as sex, education, age, smoking and alcohol use.
This cohort study examines depressive symptoms and major depression in older adults with and without chronic disease performing varying levels of physical activity over a 10-year period.
Key Points
Question What is the minimal dose of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) associated with a reduced risk of depression and depressive symptoms in older adults (aged ≥50 years) with and without chronic disease?
Findings
In this cohort study among 4016 older adults, at each of the included time points across a 10-year period, a negative dose-response association was observed between MVPA dose and depressive symptoms and major depression.
Meaning
The findings of this study suggest that a lower dose of MVPA than recommended from guidelines for overall health may be associated with a lower risk of depression among older adults.
I personally think walkable cities are a very good thing. But I think it is important to understand why some people value driving and become defensive.
Many of the people I talk to who are defensive about driving are concerned with the affordability of housing. These people are often commuting from more affordable areas and are concerned with anything that extends their already long commute.
So I think it's best to avoid characterizations of these people as lazy or selfish. They are really just trying to balance their life with a different crippling societal problem. We need to be careful to craft our arguments for walkable cities in a way that appeals to a broad audience.
A few months ago i started doing 20 minute walks in my neighbourhood everyday just while listening to podcasts and it has been a huge improvement to my outlook, as I work from home its been a big help
I’ve been doing walks at lunch when the weather’s nice and using it as a chance to catch up on classic rock albums. Listened to Les Zeppelin II for the first time an hour ago and it still slaps.
If you live in a particularly hot or humid area it may be unavoidable. Options are to walk at a more leisurely pace or to just deal with it by wearing wicking fabrics on the walk and changing into your work clothes once you get to work.