Higher daily step counts linked to fewer mental health problems in early adolescence, study finds

Higher daily step counts linked to better teenage mental health

Every extra walk to school, kickabout in the park or trip to the shops could be doing more for teenage mental health than first thought, according to new research tracking thousands of adolescents in the US.

Walking to school slashes risk of poor mental health, study suggests

Researchers said 'every step counts' when it comes to not only physical but mental health, with active youngsters displaying changes in their brains linked to movement and mood.

Higher daily step counts linked to fewer mental health problems in early adolescence, study finds

A study of more than 5,500 adolescents in the US found that those who took more daily steps at age 11 to 12 had fewer mental health problems a year later.  The relationship held all the way up to 12,000 or more steps a day, with no sign of the benefit levelling off within this data.  Adolescents with the highest step counts also showed differences in brain areas linked to movement and mood and these differences explained associations between ste…