Walking Can Counteract Loneliness, Study Finds
Even a small amount of physical activity can help counteract feelings of loneliness, according to a new study.
Feelings of social isolation or loneliness can have a big impact on our mental health.
And researchers from Germany and Switzerland have reported that doing a little exercise can be especially useful for people most at risk from depression and loneliness.
The study, which was published in Nature Mental Health, looked at 317 healthy adults aged between 18 and 28. They were monitored for a seven-day period.
Another 30 healthy participants aged between 18 and 63 were monitored over a six-month period during the coronavirus pandemic.
Participants wore monitors to track their physical activity, and they completed diaries on smartphones, reporting their mood and any social contact they had.
The researchers also used brain imaging with some participants to find those who were at greater risk of depression or loneliness.
The study found that people who were alone in their daily lives experienced lower levels of well-being, but that physical activity was able to counteract these feelings.
The researchers said walking for 60 minutes at about 5 kilometers per hour was enough to improve well-being, counteracting the negative effects of being alone.
They added that even light physical activity done at home improved well-being.
One of the researchers, Heike Tost, said the results show that physical activity can be used as an easy way to counteract the mental effects of loneliness and to improve public health.
A 2015 study found that the impact of social isolation on our health could be compared to smoking 15 cigarettes per day or drinking too much alcohol.
And according to the 2024 research team, social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic has only made the problem of loneliness and social isolation worse.
