7,000 steps can reduce risk of depression: BBC Learning English from the News

From BBC Learning English,

this is Learning English from the News, our podcast about the news headlines.

In this programme: 7,000 steps a day can reduce your risk of depression,

global study reveals.

Hello, I'm Georgie.

And I'm Beth.

In this programme, we look at one big news story

and the vocabulary in the headlines that will help you understand it.

You can find all the vocabulary and headlines from this episode,

as well as a worksheet, on our website:

bbclearningenglish.com.

OK, let's hear more about this story.

People who have a higher daily step count –

that's the number of steps you walk per day – have a lower risk of depression,

according to a new meta analysis.

Yes, a meta analysis is a study that pulls together the results of lots

of different research projects.

But walking improves mental health –

isn't that something we already knew?

Well, previous research had found that walking more was linked

to better heart health and a longer life in general.

But this new study might add mental health to that list, too.

The authors suggest that a daily active lifestyle might help to lower

the risk of depression in adults.

Let's have our first headline.

This one is from The Times in the UK.

7,000 steps to happiness: how a daily stroll can fight depression.

And that headline again from The Times: 7,000 steps

to happiness: how a daily stroll can fight depression. Now, this

headline is about this new study's suggestion

that a daily stroll could be good for our mental health.

Daily means you do it every day.

But Beth, we're looking at this word 'stroll'.

What can you tell us about it?

Well, 'stroll' is another word for walk, but it's a bit more specific.

It means to walk in a relaxed, leisurely way.

So, what do you think is more important when you're strolling, Georgie –

the destination or the experience?

Well, you said 'stroll' is about relaxing,

so I guess we walk for the experience of walking.

And Beth, how is it used?

Well, in the headline it's a noun, 'a daily stroll',

and we often hear the combination 'go for a stroll' or 'let's go for a stroll'.

Yes, and like the word 'walk', it's also used as a verb.

For example, I strolled through the city streets after work to wind down.

And we have a lot of different words for walking in a relaxing way, don't we?

Yes, we do. We have 'amble', 'saunter', 'meander' and 'wander'.

So many good ones!

Should we go for a stroll now,

Georgie? No, Beth!

We've got two more headlines to talk about.

OK.

We've had: 'stroll' – a relaxed, leisurely walk. For example,

we went for a stroll around the old town to admire the architecture.

This is Learning English from the News, our podcast about the news headlines.

Today we're talking about a new study linking a higher step count

to lower risk of depression.

The study found that those who walked 7,000 daily steps had a much lower chance

of depression than those who walked 5,000 daily steps or fewer.

This might mean that 7,000 steps is enough to have a positive effect

on our mental health.

Which is fewer than the 10,000 steps that has been popularly thought of

as the best number.

Let's have our next headline.

OK. This one's from The Daily Mail.

Experts pinpoint the precise number

of daily steps you need to take to beat depression.

Spoiler alert – It's NOT 10,000.

And that headline again from The Daily Mail: Experts pinpoint

the precise number of daily steps you need to take to beat depression.

Spoiler alert – It's NOT 10,000.

OK, this headline is about the number

of steps that are supposed to reduce your risk of depression.

We're looking at the word 'pinpoint'.

Yes, it's a verb here.

'Experts pinpoint the precise number' is what the headline says,

and Georgie, I think it'll help if we break this word

'pinpoint' down.

Yes, we've got 'pin', which is a very thin, sharp metal object.

And then we've got 'point', which in this context is the sharp end of that pin.

OK. Now, imagine a noticeboard with a big map on it.

If I gave you a pin and asked you to pinpoint London on the map,

where would you put the pin?

Well, Beth, I would put the pin precisely in the middle of London.

Exactly. So, that is the literal meaning

of pinpoint – to precisely locate something physically.

OK, but these researchers aren't locating things with a pin on a map.

Here, 'experts pinpoint the number' is used metaphorically

to mean identify something precisely.

And we often hear it in combination with 'problem' –

'pinpoint a problem'.

For example, we need to pinpoint the problem

with the car before we can fix it.

We've had: 'pinpoint' – identify something precisely.

For example, it's difficult to pinpoint the moment

when their friendship started to fall apart.

This is Learning English from the News from BBC Learning English.

We're talking about how increasing your daily steps may lower your risk

of depression.

One of the study's authors says "getting more daily steps promotes mental health

by enhancing brain function, improving mood, reducing stress,

and encouraging positive behaviours".

But the authors also make it clear that just because people

with a higher step count had a lower risk of depression, it doesn't mean

that it's the 7,000 steps that cause that lower risk of depression.

OK, Beth, let's have another headline.

OK, this is from Medical Express.

Walking away from depression: How daily steps improve mental health.

That headline again: Walking away from depression:

How daily steps improve mental health.

And that's from Medical Express.

We're interested in this phrasal verb 'walk away from'. Now, Beth,

this seems simple.

If there's a bad smell,

I walk away from it.

Or if you say something mean to me, I'll walk away from you.

OK, well, that is the literal sense,

but you can't physically walk away from depression, like in the headline,

can you?

No. So this is the metaphorical sense. 'Walk away from' someone or something

means to leave an unpleasant situation or person.

Yes. For example, walking away from a bad relationship

means finally breaking up with someone who wasn't treating you well.

Yes, or you can walk away from a job you don't like by quitting.

So, walk away from depression,

metaphorically, means to not be depressed anymore.

But you may have noticed there's a double meaning here...

Yes, because we're talking about a study

about walking to reduce the risk of depression,

it has a literal meaning as well –

literally walking to get rid of depression.

We've had: 'walk away from' someone or something –

leave an unpleasant situation or person.

For example, I had to finally walk away from my jewellery business

because it wasn't making any money.

I didn't know you had a jewellery business.

That's it for this episode of Learning English from the News.

We'll be back next week with another news story.

And if you enjoyed learning that final phrasal verb 'walk away from',

we have a whole series on phrasal verbs –

Phrasal verbs with Georgie.

That's you! Yes, that's me.

You can find it on our website, bbclearningenglish.com.

And don't forget to follow us on social media.

Just search BBC Learning English.

Bye for now. Bye!