HEALTH NOTES: Walkies? Make sure it's in the morning!

Walking your dog can ward off depression – but only if done in the morning.

Researchers at the Medical University of Vienna studied 26,000 nurses in the US and found those who got up early to take their dog out saw big improvements in their mood.

But walking them only in the afternoon or evening did little to improve owners’ mental health, the report in journal PLOS One found.

Scientists believe early dog walks, like any walks, help to ‘reset’ the human body clock, which may benefit mental health.

Researchers at the Medical University of Vienna studied 26,000 nurses in the US and found those who got up early to take their dog out saw big improvements in their mood

Scientists believe early dog walks, like any walks, help to ‘reset’ the human body clock, which may benefit mental health

Forty per cent of UK workers say they would take a job that pays less if it meant getting generous benefits such as private healthcare, a poll shows. 

And a third think bosses should routinely offer support packages for staff to help maintain good mental health. 

The survey of 2,000 UK adults was carried out for insurance firm MetLife UK. 

More than one in four also said they’d like to be offered free dental care as part of an employment package, at a time when NHS dental services are in crisis.

Almost nine million people in England now have at least two long-term health conditions that seriously affect their quality of life. 

Researchers from Imperial College London trawled through population data and found that although the elderly are most affected – with two million over-80s suffering numerous health problems – more than 125,000 children also have at least two limiting illnesses, such as obesity and diabetes.