Key result
Supervised Nordic walking rapidly reduces depressive symptoms vs controls, particularly in severe baseline depression.
Why the study?
Physical exercise is an effective treatment for depression, but little is known about the temporal dynamics of symptom improvement during exercise interventions.
Does a supervised Nordic walking program reduce depressive symptoms in adults with moderate to severe depression?
Does a supervised Nordic walking program reduce depressive symptoms in adults with moderate to severe depression?
Supervised Nordic walking yields substantial reductions in depressive symptoms within just five weeks, particularly for individuals with severe baseline depression.
Opens supervised Nordic walking as treatment option for severe depression; extends RCT evidence on exercise for affective disorders.
Physical exercise is an effective treatment for depression, yet little is known about the temporal dynamics of symptom improvement during exercise interventions. In this randomized controlled trial, 64 adults with moderate to severe depressive symptoms were allocated to a 10-week supervised Nordic walking (NW) program ( n = 48) or a non-active control condition ( n = 16). The NW group completed two weekly training sessions at moderate intensity (65–75% HRmax). Depressive symptoms were assessed at baseline, mid-intervention (Week 5), and post-intervention (Week 10) using the Beck Depression Inventory-II. Primary analyses examined Group × Time effects on symptom severity. Secondary analyses explored (via a Group × Depression intensity × Time ANOVA) whether baseline depression intensity moderated treatment response. A significant Group × Time interaction indicated greater reductions in depressive symptoms in the NW group compared with controls. Symptom improvement was most pronounced during the first half of intervention (Hedges's g = −0.98), with smaller changes thereafter (Hedges's g = −0.40 from mid- to post-intervention). In addition, a significant Group × Depression intensity × Time interaction suggests that participants with severe baseline depression experienced larger and more rapid improvement than those with moderate symptoms in the first five weeks. Supervised Nordic walking was found to be associated with substantial reductions in depressive symptoms within five weeks, particularly among individuals with severe depression. Implications of our findings and study's limitations are discussed. • French guidelines recommend exercise treatment lasting for 3 months to alleviate depression. • The exercise program used in this study showed significant improvements within five weeks. • Early improvements are particularly pronounced for those who had severe depressive symptoms at baseline.
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Ginoux et al. (2026) studied this question. Supervised Nordic walking rapidly reduced depressive symptoms within five weeks (Hedges's g = -0.98) compared to controls, particularly in adults with severe baseline depression.
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