Depression
Daily Mail 9th June 2009
The Cure: Walking!!
How Often: 30 minutes a day
How it Works: Feeling blue? Then "ecotherapy" – walking in a park or the countryside – could be the key to boosting your mood. Several researchers have found walking to be the best way to banish mild to moderate depression. Mental health charity Mind says the best places to walk are parks or the countryside. According to studies at the University of Essex commissioned by Mind, a walk surrounded by nature reduces depression whereas a walk in a shopping centre or city increased mood problems. An earlier U.S. study found that three brisk, 30-minute walks a week had greater effects on reducing depression than antidepressant drugs.
Six months after 150 subjects had completed the 16-week walking programme, only 8 per cent saw their depression return. Ecotherapy works by boosting the feel good hormones endorphins by walking and tapping into our instinctive enjoyment of Nature.