Increases in physical activity — even relatively gentle activities such as walking, stretching or taking the stairs — can help reduce the risk of becoming depressed.

That’s according to a study published in January in JAMA Psychiatry which found that any kind of movement can add up to keep depression at bay. The findings are significant because of the relatively small amount of activity that’s needed in order to decrease depression risk — and also because research has long shown a link between good mental health and good physical health.

“We saw a 26 percent decrease in odds for becoming depressed for each major increase in objectively measured physical activity,” said the study’s author Karmel Choi, a clinical and research fellow at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

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He said that the increase in physical activity is what you might see on an activity tracker if you replaced 15 minutes of sitting with 15 minutes of running, or one hour of sitting with one hour of moderate activity like brisk walking.

“I think that’s why our study findings were especially appealing. It didn’t say you have to run a marathon, do hours of aerobics, or be a CrossFit master just to see benefits on depression,” he said.

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Physical health conditions   

Depression and other mental health issues can contribute to digestive disorders, trouble sleeping, lack of energy, heart disease and other health issues, according to Harvard Medical School.

The national association Mental Health America reports that a healthy lifestyle can prevent the onset of mental health conditions, too, in addition to physical conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and obesity.

Mental Health America recommends lifestyle practices such as humor, spirituality, recreation, animal companionship and work-life balance for good mental health.

“Finding a reason to laugh, walking with a friend, meditating, playing with a pet, or working from home once a week can go a long way in making you both physically and mentally healthy,” according to Mental Health Association. Ongoing research is also exploring whether physiological changes seen in depression may play a role in increasing the risk of physical illness, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

In people with depression, scientists have found changes in the way several different systems in the body function — including signs of increased inflammation, changes in the control of heart rate and blood circulation, abnormalities in stress hormones and metabolic changes typical of those seen in people at risk for diabetes.

“It is not yet clear whether these changes seen in depression raise the risk of other medical illness. However, the negative impact of depression on mental health and everyday life is clear,” according to the National Institute of Mental Health.