Walking 30 Minutes a Day Reduces Depression in Middle-Aged Women by 30%

National Institute of Health Research, Study of 3,967 People Aged 50-80
Moderate-Intensity Aerobic Activities Like Walking Reduce Depression Risk

A domestic study has found that engaging in moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity for more than 150 minutes per week reduces the risk of depression in women by over 30%.

According to a report by Yonhap News on the 16th, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's National Institute of Health analyzed data from the Korean Genome Epidemiology Study (KoGES), calculating and analyzing the average weekly aerobic physical activity time over four years for 3,967 adults aged 50 to 80, yielding these results.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity. Moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity refers to activities that cause sweating or shortness of breath but still allow conversation with a companion. Representative moderate-intensity aerobic exercises include ▲brisk walking (4 km/h) ▲water aerobics ▲social dancing ▲doubles tennis ▲cycling (16 km/h), among others.

In this study, women who engaged in the WHO-recommended moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity for more than 150 minutes per week showed a 33% reduction in the incidence of depression. Women who performed aerobic physical activity for more than 300 minutes per week, double the WHO recommendation, had a 44% lower risk of developing depression.

However, in men, no significant correlation was found between physical activity and reduced incidence of depression. Additionally, individuals who did not meet the weekly recommended 150 minutes of aerobic physical activity did not show preventive effects against depression even if they performed resistance exercises (strength training), regardless of gender.

This study was published in the international public health journal Frontiers in Public Health.