Do you find that every winter, when the days get short and the cold weather keeps you indoors much of the time, you start to lose your enthusiasm for daily life? Perhaps you tend to sleep more, eat excessively, feel more anxious or suffer more mood changes? You may be experiencing Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a type of depression linked to the seasons. The cause of SAD, which affects more women than men, is thought to be a lack of sunlight, causing more secretion of melatonin in our bodies. This "sleep hormone" at high levels can cause depression and lead a person to crave more carbohydrates.
Research has indicated two simple things that you can do during the winter to combat this disorder are to add more light to your day and get some exercise. If you can not tolerate being outdoors on those cold but precious sunny days, consider buying a special light box that emits a full spectrum light that simulates sunlight but without the harmful ultraviolet rays. Or, at least open those drapes and let as much sunlight into your home as possible. Exercise has many proven benefits not the least of which is improving symptoms of certain mental health conditions including depression and anxiety. Without getting into a detailed discussion of neurotransmitters, endorphins and hormones, let me cite one study that showed an exercise program to be of equal benefit to routine doses of Zoloft, a common antidepressant.
While strength training has been shown to reduce anxiety and depression and may result in overall psychological well being, my advice is to start with a walking program because this is easy to do and therefore an activity you are likely to stick with for the long term, especially if you walk with a friend that can motivate you on those days you just don't feel up to the task. Goals should reflect your overall state of health. A reasonable start for most people would be to walk at a comfortable pace for 10 to 15 minutes building to 30 minutes up to five days a week. For those very cold days, mall walking has become a popular alternative to being outdoors. Other options for indoor exercise include stair climbing and treadmill walking. Your local physical therapist can make specific recommendations. So turn up the light, get a little exercise and companionship and chase those blues away! Remember that if regular exercise does not solve your problems with depression or anxiety, you should seek professional help.
Dennis Silverbloom, PT, CEEAA, CSCS is a licensed physical therapist certified by the American Physical Therapy Association as an Exercise Expert for Aging Adults and as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the NSCA. You may contact him at West Islip Physical Therapy at (631)422-2040 at 500 Montauk Highway, Suite C, West Islip. Further information may be found at www.westislippt.com
