Should I Keep Exercising? Yes!

Exercise…the poor person’s plastic surgery.  -Seen on a t-shirt 

The other morning I heard a news report about some Danish researchers who conducted a study on the effects of exercise on depression.  Their study suggested that people suffering from depression showed little to no improvement in their depressive symptoms following an extended regimen of exercise.  The study did find that those who have an exercise routine decreased their risks of heart disease, which is comforting, but I was certainly counting on some positive effects on the symptoms of depression. Bear with me on this because I am hoping to convince you to keep on exercising and staying active.   

You may recall back in the 1980’s that there was a great deal of talk about the dangers of caffeine.  As a result, people everywhere gave up coffee or turned to decaf.  Then came the 1990’s during which we started hearing about how that caffeine, in small doses, probably isn’t going to hurt us.  And in recent years we have the astonishing claim by the experts that coffee contains certain anti-oxidants which can do us great good, such as decreasing the risks of certain cancers.   

Through all of this I have steadfastly remained a coffee drinker.  I probably average two-three cups in the morning with an occasional cup or two in the afternoon.  That’s probably moderate by most standards.  Keep drinking your coffee in moderation and you should be just fine.  The point is that a study such as this does not necessarily dictate for you, me, or anyone else, the long term effects of something as innocuous as drinking a couple of cups of coffee every day.  The same can be said of the exercise / depression study.  A few years from now some new researchers will probably come out with another study refuting the Danish one and claim that exercise does in fact help with the symptoms of depression.  In the meantime what should we do to combat depression, sorrow, and the blues?  Consider these strategies for keeping fit both physically and spiritually:

 

• Continue with your exercise program, especially during the cold winter months.  On cold, gray, and dreary days do not sit inside thinking about what a rotten day it is.  Instead, bundle up and go for a brisk walk.  The cold air can be invigorating.   

• Consider light therapy.  This involves sitting for a while each morning next to a lamp designed to mimic the effects of sunshine.  They are fairly expensive, but reports on their effectiveness are positive.  I am researching this and will try to provide more information in upcoming blogs.
  

• Keep moving and keep your sense of humor.  Laughter is a wonderful medicine.   

What sort of morning are you looking out at today?  Is it bitterly cold, with dark and leaden skies?  No problem!  Get up, get going, and make it the best day ever. 

It’s going to be a great day!