1,000 more steps a day tracks with brighter teen moods

No gym membership required. Researchers at King's College London and UMass Amherst tracked 5,515 teenagers wearing Fitbits and found that each extra 1,000 to 2,000 steps a day lined up with fewer anxiety and low-mood symptoms a year later — walking to school or kicking a ball counts — with no sign the benefit levels off. The teens who moved more also showed slightly thicker brain tissue in areas that handle emotions. It's an observational study, so it tracks with better moods rather than proving cause, but the takeaway published in JAMA Network Open is gentle: small steps, literally.