As the cold gray days seem to stretch on and on and on, seasonal affective disorder or SAD can accumulate causing a variety of negative effects. SAD is a type of depression related to changes in seasons. Negative side effects include low energy, trouble sleeping, feeling agitated, weight gain, changes in appetite, as well as others depending on where you live and how the weather affects you personally.
February is the perfect month to switch up your routine and reboot those resolutions that you started in January. In fact, February is Heart Health Month. Your heart health is the perfect motivation to battle SAD and reboot your New Year’s resolutions! The great thing is that all of the ways be heart healthy are also the tools to combat SAD.
Did you join a gym in January as a part of your resolution to exercise more? Not getting there as much as you hoped or planned? Make a new plan! The optimal amount to workout is three to five days a week for 30 to 45 minutes at a time. Start a new list of goals! Knowing that you can sleep in on Tuesday and Thursday because you’re going to work out Monday, Wednesday, and Friday can be enough of a reward to get you motivated those three days of the week.
Start small and change up your workouts! Walk on the treadmill for 20 minutes and work up to 45 minutes. Add an incline, increase your speed, try the hill setting, and go up a level. Switch up your cardio with the elliptical and step master. And definitely add weight lifting to your routine.
Start a workout journal. Write down your workouts and use them as motivation to keep going. Check in weekly to compare how you have improved. Make notes in the margins where you see room for improvement or are proud of an especially tough workout.
Workout partners are an excellent way to stay motivated. Knowing that someone else is counting on you for their workout is one way to guarantee you’ll make it to the gym. On nice weather days take the workout outside. Walks around the neighborhood, school track, or nearby trail are all excellent options for a workout that meets a multitude of health benefits: stress relief, muscle building, heart health. Getting out in nature is an excellent way to boost your mood. Being more active lowers blood pressure, boosts levels of good cholesterol, improves blood flow, prevents bone loss, and keeps weight under control.
Let’s get started! Make that list. Set reminders on your phone. Add a fun, upbeat song as an alarm reminder.
Corey Flynn NDTR, CDM, CFPP
Here is what they mean: Nutrition and Dietetics Technician, Registered; Certified Dietary Manager; and Certified Food Protection Professional. She is also an ACE certified personal trainer.
Corey has degrees in nutrition, photography, and journalism. She enjoys adventure triathlons and hiking. She is currently working on a master’s degree in public policy and management with a concentration in environment and sustainability at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public and International Affairs while working full time and caring for her husband, three children, three cats, a beagle, two geckos, and one goldfish