Want to boost your mental health? Take a walk

18%

Percentage lowered risk of depression among adults who got just half the recommended amount of physical activity per week—the equivalent of about 75 minutes of brisk walking—compared with adults who reported no physical activity.

25%

Percentage lowered risk of depression among adults who got the recommended amount of physical activity per week—about 2.5 hours of brisk walking. Getting more exercise than that does not seem to confer extra mood benefits.

1 in 9

Cases of depression that could potentially be prevented if all adults did just 150 minutes of physical activity per week, the minimal amount recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Source: Pearce, M., et al. (2022). Association between physical activity and risk of depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Psychiatry, 79(6), 550–559. This meta-analysis covers 15 prospective studies involving 191,130 participants.