Posted: 04/22/2012 11:11 am

    Review Finds :

Walking is effective in helping to decrease depressive symptoms, according to a new review of studies.

Research published in the journal Mental Health and Physical Activity shows that
"walking has a statistically significant, large effect on the symptoms of depression in some populations."

The review showed that walking works as well as other kinds of exercise in helping lower depressive
symptoms.

The review included eight studies, evaluating a total of 341 people, which all showed that walking is able
to lessen symptoms of depression. But the researchers cautioned that the ways the studies were conducted --
like how long the people walked, at what pace, and how often -- were different from study to study, so more
research is needed to find what is the most effective.

"The beauty of walking is that everybody does it," Adrian Taylor, a professor at the University of Exeter who
studies depression, addiction and stress, told BBC News.

The Mayo Clinic explained that exercise may help fight depression by prompting the release of chemicals in
the brain that are linked with feeling happy, and could also help to calm the body by raising body temperature.
It could also help by serving as a distraction, boosting confidence and social interaction, and serving as a
"substitute" for more unhealthy coping practices like drinking alcohol.

If you're prone to being obese, spending just one hour going for a brisk walk may reduce your genetic influence
by half. That's the finding from a Harvard School of Public Health Study that was recently presented at the
American Heart Association's Epidemiology and Prevention/Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism
2012 Scientific Sessions.

"In our study, a brisk one-hour daily walk reduced the genetic influence towards obesity, measured by
differences in BMI by half," study researcher Qibin Qi, Ph.D. said in a statement. "On the other hand, a
sedentary lifestyle marked by watching television four hours a day increased the genetic influence by
50 percent."

Not only is it helpful to get moving from behind your desk -- it might be harmful to stay slumped over
your computer instead.

 
  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/22/walking-depression_n_1429003.html?ref=mostpopular