Walking most effective anti-depressant, reveals health survey

New Delhi: A new health survey has found a strong correlation between walking and depression.

According to the fourth edition of the Max Bupa Walk For Health Survey, 97% of Indians who walk regularly, experience improvement in their mental and emotional health.

The findings unveiled by Max Bupa in line with the theme of World Health Day 2017 - Depression: Let's Talk - reveal that walking is the most effective anti-depressant.

Max Bupa Walk for Health Survey is a first of its kind study on walking behaviour of Millennials and Elderly carried across 4 cities, namely, Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Jaipur.

Max Bupa Walk for Health Survey also reveals that walking helps control stress among people across age groups. While 42% of the elderly feel that walking helps beat stress, 50% of the millennials experience reduction of stress and hypertension, post walking.

This is the highest for millennials in Bangalore at 68%, followed by Delhi (66%,) Mumbai (53%) and Jaipur (48%).

Interestingly, over 40% of the respondents are motivated to walk because of interesting walking apps and gadgets that help them track their health.

The survey further reveals that those who don’t walk regularly are more prone to depression as nearly 15% of non-walkers admitted to be suffering from depression and high stress levels. Amongst the depressed patients those who walk regularly, 59% say they forget about their illness while walking, while 50% say they walk to break the monotony of daily life, 39% feel walking makes them happier, and 26% walk to improve their work-life balance.

Walking gives 19% millennials time for self-introspection, while it gives 21% elderly the feeling of self-reliance.

Walking helps patients with depression interact with other people outside their house; interestingly this percentage was higher for millennials (20%) as compared to the elderly (12%).

The survey also states multiple barriers that stop patients with depression from talking up walking as an exercise. 43% of them are unable to walk as long daily commute leaves them with no time for walking, 29% get bored while walking and believe that walking will not have a positive impact on their personality, 21% lack company to walk, and 21% are unaware of benefits of walking on their mental health.

Ashish Mehrotra, Managing Director & CEO, Max Bupa, said “depression and failing mental health are key health issues in today’s fast-paced and stress-prone life. Millennials from the younger generation are more prone to mental ailments owing to shrinking emotional support and workplace pressure.”

There are also other multiple perceived benefits of walking observed by the respondents who were surveyed.

Most prominent benefits of walking include increased productivity at work (70%), cured insomnia (15%), improved alertness (56%), reduced sugar levels (48%) and increase in energy levels (50%). 75% of the patients took to walking after being diagnosed with an illness.

More than half of the millennials in Delhi and Bangalore (54% and 59% respectively) feel more alert/energetic, post walking.

More than 2/3rd (67%) of the elderly in Jaipur feel that walking helps keep their knees/joints fit.

Usage of gadgets/technology plays an important for walkers, according to the Max Bupa Walk for Health Survey. 60% of the respondents use gadgets while walking.

Usage of gadgets is more prominent amongst millennials in Delhi (70%) and Mumbai (72%), however only 50% of the elderly use gadgets. More than half of the millennial women walkers (54%) feel tech gadgets with reminders propel them to walk more.