Physical Activity and Mental Health
WALKING FOR MENTAL HEALTH
Did you know there is a free and immediate treatment option for mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and stress? Some antidepressant medications can take up to four weeks to produce any results. So, what is this magical treatment option? The answer is walking! Surprised? Not only can walking improve depression and anxiety, walking also increases overall happiness and self-esteem (British Journal of Sports Medicine, Intro 2019). As well as increased memory and attention (Bitesize, 2021). All it takes is an average of 20 minutes of walking a day!
STILL NOT CONVINCED?
Although, little research on walking in correlation with metal health has been conducted in the past, much more scientific evidence has been discovered between the two topics in recent years. With positive results! In the study "Happy Feet": evaluating the benefits of a 100-day step challenge on mental health and wellbeing 1,963 participants completed a 100-day walking challenge. According to the study, after completion of the 100-day challenge, 7.6% of individuals reported decreased depression symptoms, 5.04% in anxious symptoms, and 8.96% in stress symptoms (Hallam, Bilsborough, & De Courten, 2018).