Walking is the best way to combat winter blues, according to a study

There is a significant link between the number of steps taken each day and our morale, says a team from the University of Castilla-La Mancha, in Spain. Physical exercise promotes the production of mood-regulating hormones.

It’s winter, it’s cold, it’s gray. If you’re feeling sluggish or a little depressed for no particular reason in the middle of January, here’s some valuable advice from a team of Spanish researchers: equip yourself with a pedometer and count your daily steps. There is a significant link between the number of steps taken each day and our morale and energy level. A team from the University of Castilla-La Mancha, Spain, recently analyzed 33 rigorous international studies, involving 96,173 adults of all ages. Their findings are clear, participants taking at least 7,000 steps per day have a 31% reduced risk of depression. From 7,500 daily steps, this reduction reaches 42%.

Physical exercise promotes the production of mood-regulating hormones and helps reduce certain inflammations, mechanisms that directly influence our mental well-being.

Keeping your spirits up or smiling is not just a question of state of mind or willpower. Our emotional balance results from a mixture of biological and psychological factors. Both are important, recalls Dr Pierre Philip, psychiatrist and sleep specialist at Bordeaux University Hospital and author of the book Antidéprime published by Albin Michel.

Among the other biological factors with antidepressant effects, beyond 7,000 daily steps, we also find having a varied diet, rich in essential nutrients, and sufficient and regular sleep. People with irregular sleep schedules are almost twice as likely to feel depressed.

One step is on average equivalent to 75 cm, or approximately 5.2 kilometers per 7,000 steps. This corresponds to one hour of walking at a moderate pace or 40 minutes of brisk walking. Walking 7,000 steps a day is not limited to having a positive effect on morale. Over a 10-year period, achieving this goal also reduces the overall risk of death by 50-70%. So, are you ready to put on your walking shoes?