Keeping Busy and Staying Active
Ah, Spring! When a young man’s fancy
turns to…exercise! Yup, it’s true. It’s time to ramp-up the old
routine. Get serious and get going. We’ve been light deprived too long.
The landscape is bursting with color, and the temperature is starting to
feel pretty good. I’m in a good mood.
But for some, all is not well. Some folks
suffer from that dreaded depression. A client sent me a copy of “Get
Healthier and Happier,” an article by Deborah Kotz that ran in US News
& World Report. It says that though you may be on anti-depressants, a
good dose of vigorous exercise can be great medicine. I’ve always said
that when you exercise, your brain releases endorphins and you get that
“high” feeling. It’s a great feeling of accomplishment and a
vigorous boost of energy. But then again, I’m not a depressed person,
but quite the contrary—very active, and with a positive outlook. A
depressed person feels trapped, walls closing in, helpless, tired,
stressed, and lost. Many are taking medication to help with the symptoms
of the disease. Treatment with anti-depressant drugs is a way to try and
adjust the brain’s chemistry. Some work, some don’t, and a combination
of meds could help—but not always.
Now getting back to the Deborah Kotz
article, she claims that there is evidence that if you work out and burn
at least 350 calories for each of every three sessions suggested each
week, then your depression could be reduced. Note that she means vigorous
exercise.
Along with an exercise regimen, studies
show that good nutrition (including eating fish), a good night’s sleep,
and good old natural sun, go a long way in reducing depression. I do agree
that exercise plays a major role in controlling this disease. If you’ve
been diagnosed with depression, please try to keep busy and stay active.
Another mood altering activity is walking.
Nothing beats it. Every able bodied person can do it. It’s easy to do,
not hard to learn, and the best one of all is…it’s free! A good
vigorous walk can boost your mood and elevate the metabolism. With the
weather changing for the better now, being outdoors will surely shake off
those winter doldrums. You can really lose a lot of weight by walking. The
best results happen when you walk 20 minutes or more. Nick and I walk
through the new development down the road. It takes 30 minutes of non-stop
walking to do the whole community. It’s been quite enjoyable.
If you don’t really care to walk all that
often but you still need the exercise, then try gardening. What a
wonderful way to get some vigorous exercise. Many of my clients have
gardens—flowers and/or vegetable—and they don’t realize it when they
over-do it sometimes. You can really get a workout. Feeling depressed? Do
some gardening. You won’t realize that all that lifting, bending,
hauling, shoveling, and planting is helping your body, too.
Recently Nick and I contracted to have a
garage build for our cars. It turned out quite well, if I say so myself.
After the workers had finished and left, we had to do some major
landscaping. Let me tell you, this was really hard work. Putting in plants
and trees was physically demanding, but truly worth it. We are now in the
process of putting in a vegetable and herb garden. I’ve never done
anything like this before and I’m really looking forward to it. We know
it will be quite demanding but we are willing to give it a try.
Rick Moore is a personal trainer certified by the American Fitness
Professionals & Associates. Visit him at www.ricksfitness.net.
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