Around 21 million adults in the U.S. are diagnosed with major depression. That means they experienced fatigue, sadness, trouble sleeping, and difficulty concentrating for most of the day, nearly every day, for more than two weeks.
And that number doesn't include the many people who have transient depression because of difficult life events or health issues.
But what if you could simply walk away from those life-dampening feelings?
A new review and meta-analysis of 33 studies found that walking 7,000 steps daily eased symptoms of depression significantly — and reduced the risk of developing major depression.
And the further you walk, the greater the relief. So go for that 10,000-step goal.
Other interesting, nonmedical approaches to decreasing depression risk and symptoms include diet, meditation, and supplements:
• A study in the journal Psychiatry Research found that eating a diet loaded with fruit, vegetables, whole grains, fish, olive oil, low-fat dairy, and antioxidants — and not eating a lot of animal foods — is associated with a decreased risk of depression.
• Meditative techniques including mindfulness, yoga, tai chi, Transcendental Meditation, and qigong have been found to have substantial benefits for people dealing with an acute major depressive episode as well as those in partial remission, according to a study in the journal Psychosomatics.
• Taking 50 mcg of vitamin D daily was found to ease symptoms of depression better than placebo in a 2022 meta-analysis of 41 studies.
Talk to your doctor about possible medications and talk therapy, and discuss the use of self-care techniques. Then check out the life-enhancing information in Dr. Mike's book "The Great Age Reboot."