Exercise can be beneficial in countless ways. It helps you maintain an ideal weight, improves heart health and can give your mental health a boost, but what can it do for depressed individuals? Is curing your depression as simple as getting up and putting one foot in front of the other thousands of time each day? It’s never that simple, but a recent study decided to take a look to see if walking could help improve symptoms in those who have been diagnosed with depression. We explore the findings in today’s blog.
Walking Your Way To Improved Mental Health
Researchers sought to understand the benefits that a specific type of walking – Nordic walking – had on patients dealing with depression. Nordic walking is a specific type of walking that involves using special poles to engage the arms, shoulders and upper body while walking, which forces the walker to use more muscle groups during the activity.
64 adults with moderate to severe depression were recruited through a French non-profit organization dedicated to supporting depressed individuals through regular physical activity. A group or 48 people were placed in the Nordic walking group, while 16 were put into the control group. The Nordic walking group received 10 weeks of instructor-led Nordic walking training, while the control group periodically received newsletters and information on depression and depression prevention, but did not modify their exercise habits. Participants completed a depression assessment at outset, at five weeks and at the conclusion of the study.
The results showed that individuals in the Nordic walking group experienced a sizable reduction in depression symptoms at the five-week mark. About half of the walking group had achieved a clinical response (categorized as a 50% or greater reduction in symptoms) compared to 0% in the control group. Individuals diagnosed with severe depression saw the biggest improvements. Effectiveness fell in the second five weeks, but researchers were still able to conclude that remission and clinical response rates were significantly higher in the Nordic walking group compared to the control group
“The present trial provides promising evidence that supervised Nordic walking can reduce depressive symptoms within five weeks, particularly in individuals with severe baseline depression. By addressing the patient-prioritized goal of fast recovery, these findings posit physical activity as a compelling, cost-effective, and accessible addition to the therapeutic arsenal for depression,” study authors concluded.
Now, that’s not to say that curing your depression is as easy as grabbing some walking sticks and going for a regular walk, but it adds more to the evidence that exercise can be beneficial in the totality of your mental health treatment. Exercising and forcing your body to move has real benefits for your brain and your mental health, so don’t ignore exercise as a crucial aspect of a comprehensive treatment program.
Check out some other health studies by clicking around on our blog, and reach out to Dr. Silverman if you have specific questions about any foot or ankle issues that you’re dealing with!