Walking 5,000 steps daily may reduce depression risk, new research finds

New research highlights the mental health benefits of walking, with a meta-analysis of 33 studies involving nearly 100,000 adults showing that walking 5,000 steps daily is linked to fewer depressive symptoms.

Published in JAMA Network Open, the study found that increasing daily step counts significantly lowers depression risk, with every additional 1,000 steps reducing the risk by 9%.

The analysis revealed that walking 7,000 steps daily reduces depression risk by 31%, while those reaching 10,000 steps experience the most significant benefits. However, researchers emphasized that even 5,000 steps offer notable mental health advantages, making it an achievable goal for many.