Another highly recommended article by our Italian partner Dr. Roger Pycha on the benefits of walking for those suffering from depression. Modern psychiatry works with the smallest movements – our daily steps – and investigates how we can use them to combat humanity's greatest suffering, depression.
Brain researcher Sir John Eccles summed it up when he said: There are two paths to intelligence – language and movement. For more than 100 years, the first path has been consistently pursued in the treatment of mental disorders. Sigmund Freud spread the use of words, or psychotherapy, throughout the world. However, it has been known for even longer that movement promotes thinking, that solutions and ideas come more easily when walking. The ancient Greek philosophers used the Stoa, the shady portico, for this purpose in the sweltering heat, and the school of thinkers that emerged from it is called the Stoics. They shaped the Roman Empire as philosophers on the throne and later the Christian Middle Ages more significantly than any other community of thinkers, from Epictetus to Seneca to Marcus Aurelius.
For thousands of years, Far Eastern meditation techniques have identified movement patterns or postures that promote relaxation, energy absorption, contemplation and fusion with the world. This has created niches for us as participants in the performance and information society, which we can use to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life and social stress – at least temporarily, through yoga, qigong or holotropic breathing.
In modern psychology, movement is a form of communication that penetrates deeper into the human being than language can, although language ultimately also arises from the movement of the tongue, mouth and larynx. A person's body language is a very accurate indication of their mental state, and physical exercises have a direct effect on the soul. In endurance sports, this mutual influence is exploited by using movement patterns to organise people's thoughts and goals, and by using goal-oriented ideas to increase physical stamina. Marathon runners develop a routine that they can maintain for a very long time and transfer this tenacity to the goal of covering 42 km without a break. High-impact sports also work by practising unusual movements so well that extraordinary goals can be achieved – in weightlifting, long jump or car racing, for example.
People on stage know that movement changes the world: actors, dancers and clowns amaze, move and entertain audiences because emotions are easily evoked when observing the movements of others – this is also what makes film and television so fascinating.
Modern psychiatry works with the smallest movements – our daily steps – and investigates how we can use them to combat humanity's greatest suffering, depression. A study from Spain (Universidad Castilla – La Mancha) recently published in JAMA Network open examined almost 100,000 people and discovered something incredible: at least 7,000 steps a day significantly reduce the risk of developing depression, and the more steps you take, the greater the protection. Smartphones have built-in pedometers, so everyone can easily monitor and coach themselves, and if necessary, take a few more steps to reach their goal. This number of steps promotes the release of dopamine, serotonin and noradrenaline in the brain and improves mood. However, people suffering from depression lack energy and find it difficult to motivate themselves to exercise. The study also provides information on this: positive effects can be expected from as little as 5,000 steps a day. So, small steps lead to greater success.
Roger Pycha, director of the psychiatric clinic in Brixen, South Tyrol, Italy. EAAD partner since 2021
