Walking can play a vital role in fighting depression, a study has claimed.
The study in the journal Mental Health and Physical Activity showed walking had a “large effect” on depression.
Vigorous
exercise has already been shown to alleviate symptoms of depression,
but the effect of less strenuous activities was unclear. One in 10
people may have depression at some point in their lives. The condition
can be treated with drugs, but exercise is commonly prescribed by
doctors for mild symptoms.
Researchers
at the University of Stirling scoured academic studies to find data on
one of the mildest forms of exercise, walking. They found eight studies,
on a total of 341 patients, which fitted the bill.
The
report’s authors showed “walking was an effective intervention for
depression” and had an effect similar to other more vigorous forms of
exercise.
“Walking
has the advantages of being easily undertaken by most people, incurring
little or no financial cost and being relatively easy to incorporate
into daily living,” they said.
However,
they cautioned that much more research needed to be done. There are
still questions over how long, how fast and whether walking should take
place indoors or outdoors.
Prof.
Adrian Taylor, who studies the effects of exercise on depression,
addiction and stress at the University of Exeter, told the BBC: “The beauty of walking is that everybody does it.”
“There are benefits for a mental health condition like depression,” he added.
Mr.
Taylor said there were ideas about exercise being a distraction from
worries, giving a sense of control and releasing “feel-good” hormones.
Source :
www.thehindu.com dtd 14/04/2012
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