Evidence for anxiety , psychological stress , psychological well-being , subjective well-being and social isolation and loneliness varied in volume and effectiveness , but no harmful effects were identified .
The setting and context of walking seems to be important variables .
Background / objectives Walking has well-established positive relationships with , and effects on , physical health .
In contrast , while poor mental health contributes substantially to global health burden , an overview of the benefits from walking has not previously been published .
We aim ed to scope the literature and present what is known , and highlight what is not known , about walking and mental health .
Effects of intervention using a community-based walking program for prevention of mental decline: a randomized controlled trial.
OBJECTIVES To evaluate the efficacy of a municipality-led walking program  under the Japanese public Long-Term Care Insurance Act to prevent mental decline . DESIGN R and omized controlled trial . SETTING The city of Takasaki . PARTICIPANTS One hundred fifty community members aged 72.0 ± 4.0 were r and omly divided into intervention ( n = 75 ) and control ( n = 75 ) groups . INTERVENTION A walking program was conducted once a week for 90 minutes for 3 months . The program encouraged participants to walk on a regular basis and to increase their steps per day gradually . The intervention was conducted in small groups of approximately six , so combined benefits of exercise and social interaction were expected . MEASUREMENTS Cognitive function was evaluated focusing on nine tests in five domains : memory , executive function , word fluency , visuospatial abilities , and sustained attention . Quality of life ( QOL ) , depressive state , functional capacity , range of activities , and social network were assessed using question naires , and motor function was evaluated . RESULTS Significant differences between the intervention and control groups were shown in word fluency related to frontal lobe function ( F(1 , 128 ) = 6.833 , P = .01 ) , QOL ( F(1,128 ) = 9.751 , P = .002 ) , functional capacity including social interaction ( F(1,128 ) = 13.055 , P < .001 ) , and motor function ( Timed Up and Go Test : F(1,127 ) = 10.117 , P = .002 ) . No significant differences were observed in other cognitive tests . CONCLUSION Walking programs may provide benefits in some aspects of cognition , QOL , and functional capacity including social interaction in elderly community members . This study could serve as the basis for implementation of a community-based intervention to prevent mental decline
Evidence for anxiety , psychological stress , psychological well-being , subjective well-being and social isolation and loneliness varied in volume and effectiveness , but no harmful effects were identified .
The setting and context of walking seems to be important variables .
Background / objectives Walking has well-established positive relationships with , and effects on , physical health .
In contrast , while poor mental health contributes substantially to global health burden , an overview of the benefits from walking has not previously been published .
We aim ed to scope the literature and present what is known , and highlight what is not known , about walking and mental health .