Seasonal Affective Disorder is a very real and common winter phenomenon. Historically we have called it the “winter blues” or “cabin fever”. I don’t doubt that its root is multi-faceted, but lack of sunlight hours in the winter months have a very strong and real impact on our physiology. The farther north one lives, the more likely one is to drive to work or school in the dark, sit in a building all day with artificially lighting, then drive back home afterward in the dark.

I grew up in Alaska and experienced severe seasonal affective disorder from the ages of 14 until I moved away at 22. It is what prompted me to get involved in exercise, as I found it to offer some relief from very debilitating depression. There were months where I saw very little sunlight because it was too cold to be outside or I would be sitting in windowless classrooms all day. Those of you who know me personally know I have a fairly strong response to cold, wintery behavior. This is partially in response to associating winter with such extreme emotional dispondency. At the time, all that was offered as a remedy was the new and exciting SSRI’s that Eli Lilly and other companies were manufacturing. I tried most of them at least once with varying degrees of relief.

Initially, I would like to say that a decrease in energy and vigor in the winter is PERFECTLY NORMAL. The world around us – plants and non-migratory animals – go into a state of dormancy or hibernation. Like them, we are an integral part of this cycle. Winter is a time of rest and reflection so that we have the reserves required for spring and summer’s bustle of activity. In our disconnection from nature’s cycles we have asked our body to continue with high productivity month after month and year after year. Our rest comes in the form of sick days and paid vacations. It is out of rhythm with the greater cycle we live in. This is, I believe, part of the reason why this condition has become so debilitating.

Older and wiser, I have found some non-pharmaceutical solutions to the winter blues. I am eternally grateful for exercise, the accidental discovery that gave me something to work with during my adolescence and has since become an integral part of my life and career. I have also found other tools over the years which are of benefit:

• Light Therapy: Sunlight affects our mood and energy by encouraging production of both melatonin and serotonin through messages sent from the retina to the brain. “Light boxes” simulate the intensity of sunlight on a clear spring day and can help normalize mood and sleep. I’ve also had clients benefit from dawn simulators to help with waking up in the morning.
• Taking Breaks during daylight hours: If you work in an environment which has little access to natural light, be sure to get out for 10-20 minutes a day while the sun is still up. It’s amazing how much of a boost a brisk walk can do mid-day.
• Get thee to thy local gym! If the weather is too crummy to be outside, get into the gym for three hours a week. The time you take for this will be returned in increased productivity, better moods, and decreased illness. Lift weights, watch the news while taking a brisk walk on the treadmill — just get your heart pumping and your blood moving. Hire a quality trainer or get an exercise buddy f you have trouble making it to the gym.
• Omega-3′s: A natural part of many diets in far-northern countries are high-doses of omega-3 fats from marine life. Cultural and laboratory studies demonstrate marked improvement from or absence of depressive symptoms when high doses of omega 3 fatty acids are consumed regularly. Dosage is dependent on symptoms; speak to a health professional knowledgable in nutrition and brain health for your specific needs.
• Expect Less of Yourself: This has been my most recent change and has really made a difference. Knowing that I am not seperate from the natural world around me has given me permission to slow down a bit from November through February. I do not expect as much from myself, I do not push myself and I allow more time for soothing, restorative activities: cooking, reading, having tea with loved ones, sleeping in a little more on weekends, and so on. Traditionally a Type A, this shift has taken some time to embrace but now that I have there is a lot less struggle in the winter months. Keep your appointment book a little more open for downtime, get a massage, sit in a cafe with a friend you’ve been dying to catch up with and re-connect.
• Monitor Yourself: Keep tabs on how you are doing. If you are trying to wean off of medication, make sure you have professional support to ensure a smooth transition. If you find that coming off of medication is not an option, the above suggestions can still be of benefit to you. Implement them as a means of not just surviving SAD, but moving through the season gracefully and pleasantly. You are not alone; upwards of 10% of northern populations experience symptoms.

I’d love to hear about your own persoanl experience with the winter blues and how you have worked with this season to stay happy, whole and healthy. Your ideas and suggestions may offer relief to someone struggling. Please comment below and share your experiences.

More Information:

Exercise and Depression
Omega-3-for-depression
http://www.mcmanweb.com/omega3.html
Light Therapy Products and SAD Information

I had the great honor of being consulted recently for an article in the Seattle PI on smoothies.  To read more about how smoothies are an awesome recovery food and a great carrier for extra nutrition, click here:

Here we are in the last stretch of winter. Motivation is at an all time low – I can feel it and so can my colleagues and clients. Spring is just around the corner, but right now it feels as though we are sitting in the darkest hour before the dawn (nevermind those extra 3 minutes of sunlight per day).

With patience thin and cold winds blowing, it’s hard to get out of bed and face the gym or lace your running shoes. Excuses are numerous, but taking control of your lifestyle and moving through this last patch of winter maintaining or increasing your activity levels will leave you with greater energy, a better body, and a feeling of accomplishment that outshines staying in bed or cuddling up to a bowl of ice cream!

Here are some tips for beating the Winter Workout Blahs:

• Don’t Go It Alone: Get a partner or a trainer to help you out! I’m currently boosting my workouts by running with a friend and doing exercise videos in my basement. Find a friend or colleague to go walking with during the day, after work, or on weekends. Or hire a personal trainer for a hard-core, body-changing workout several times a week. Having someone else to exercise with will hold you accountable when excuses mount and motivation wanes!
• Bring It Indoors: Yoga and gym classes may be more your cup of tea when the weather is cold and wet. If you want something that doesn’t feel like exercise, classes like belly dancing, hip hop, salsa, swing, rock climbing and martial arts are offered through community colleges and local businesses.
• Turn Your Home into Your Gym: For a small subset of the population, exercising at home is the only way to go. Purchase someone else’s unused treadmill, exercise bike, or weight set and do it yourself! Rent exercise videos to keep variety up for both mental and physical benefits. No athlete’s foot, no gym class flashbacks, and clean up is a snap!
• Break it Up into Pieces: If time is a factor, break it up into little pieces. Get off a bus stop earlier than usual, or utilize half your lunch break for walking outside with a coworker. Sneak in extra steps – wear a pedometer for inspiration and motivation to keep going!

It’s hard enough to stay fit in the winter, holiday distractions aside. It’s darker, colder, and our bodies are aching to hibernate and craving sweets to compensate. It’s really, really easy to give in and take tie off, and this is a huge contributor to seasonal weight gain. Here are some ideas to combat the inertia and stay fit during the holidays:

• Sign up for something! Even in the cold weather, there are 5k races that you can run or walk in throughout the year. Turkey Trot, Jingle Bell, and other fun runs this season are often to raise money for worthy causes. Signing up for an event keeps you mindful of staying ins hape — you want to make sure you can cross the finish line!
• Find Activity partners: Sites such as Meetup.com are a great place to join a group who enjoy doing the same activity you do – be it rock climbing, cycling, walking, or rollerblading. You can also find a friend at work to be your walking buddy during the week; motivate and hold one another accountable! It’s easier to stay active when someone is counting on you
• Hire a professional: Sometimes you just need to lay down some cash and set an appointment to get things done. This is where a personal trainer, running coach, or other fitness professional can hold you accountable to your workouts and keep you exercising through the season.
• Join a gym. Hint — this time of year gets really slow, and great deals pop up in gyms desperate for membership. There’s no reason you should ever have to pay an initiation fee — many gyms will void them this time of year to get you in — take advantage of it!

The important thing is to keep moving – no matter what the activity is! A body in motion tends to stay in motion, and a body at rest….well, we’ve all fallen off the bandwagon and felt the difficulty of getting back on track again! Don’t give up on yourslef — staying active through December will give you a jump start on the New Year, help negate holiday goodies, and give you a sense of pride and accomplishment!

I haven’t always been a marathon runner. In fact, I wasn’t even a regular runner until I was in my 20’s. I didn’t play any sports in school, my parents weren’t physically active, and there was no role model for me follow into a world of fitness. My journey into physical activity was about as organic as it gets – after my 15 year old heart was broken for the first time, I had an overwhelming urge to run away from everything. There was an anxious twitch that overtook my body and my agitation was directed out on a trail. So I ran for a bit, and I felt better. Like I might be able to wake up the next day and live a bit longer.

I remember the first morning I ran to my high school without stopping. It was just before it got too cold to run in Alaska. The total distance was probably about 2 miles and it was the first runner’s high I’d ever experienced. I felt like I could do anything! After my adolescent heart was crushed, I desperately needed to feel that power. I signed up for weight class in gym that year. I saw exercise as a way out of hurt and a way back to accepting myself in the face of rejection.

I continued to take gym every quarter for the rest of high school. Kickboxing, advanced weights, step class, and so on. I began using the family gym membership. I was enough of a regular that one of the group fitness instructors told me I was a “natural” and I should look into personal training.

And here I am.

I write this because some of you have never been “fit”. You may tell yourself that you aren’t good at it, it’s been too long, you are too old, you don’t belong. The only reason I never ran track in high school is because I told myself I wasn’t good enough. In order to even be good enough to make a high school team, I should have been running in junior high. Or elementary school. I told myself it was too late for me. I never even bothered to look into tryouts, because I “knew” I’d never make it and I didn’t want to face that rejection. At 16, I was a washout. Past my prime. Put me out to pasture!

I now see how ridiculous that is. I hope you do, too. We are only limited by the barriers we lock ourselves into. My last year in high school I volunteered at a hospital with dietitians to make sure nutrition was the right career choice for me and I met a woman in her 60’s doing her internship – she had decided in her late 50’s to make a career change. Whenever I tell myself it’s too late for me, I think of her.

It never has to be too late.

My initial reasons for running a marathon were not noble. I wasn’t raising money for charity. I had these ideas that I would emerge from the experience a lean, long-legged gazelle. Never mind that I am 5’2”. I thought if I could run a marathon, I would never have to worry about not wanting to exercise again – it would be so ingrained in my day that it would be an effortless endeavor. I thought running a marathon would prove that I was stronger than my fears and bigger than ghosts that chased me. I was curious about what would happen in the course of training for such an event – could my body take it? What would it feel like to run for hours? Could I find the secret to the runner’s high?

I didn’t get what I expected; I received so much more. The gifts I received in preparation for my first event did not come to me at the finish line. They were granted in incremental doses – great and small – throughout the months of preparation for the big day.

Training for an event several months out is a grand experiment in mind and body. With few distractions or demands on a long run or ride (other than placing one foot or pedal in front of the other) you discover the unexpected. It is possible to run for longer than an hour. It’s possible to go longer than you ever dreamed! With practice, you get faster as well. You break barriers you did not know existed. You marvel at how loyal your body has been to you along these many miles and realize how it has always stood with you, time and time again, through dieting and childbirth and foolish mistakes. You develop an appreciation for it that extends far beyond dress sizes and BMIs.

Within these hours of solitude and quietness you also find miracles in the deep recesses of your mind. I discovered after 17 miles that I am a really, really good cheerleader and when push comes to shove I am the only one I can rely on to make it to the finish line. I discovered the power of attitude – how my rotten mood made a run unbearable and how easily that could turn around if I changed my internal dialogue. I found inspiration, great ideas, moving meditation, laughter, tears, and deep strength. I found the time to find more of who I am. I found I am stronger than my fears, so there is no need to outrun any ghosts. Each time I run, I have an opportunity to learn more, connect deeper, and become inspired.

Those of you in training have your own beautiful stories. Those of you who have considered trying the seemingly impossible have beautiful stories waiting to be woven. Join me on the trails. Join me at the starting line. I am waiting to hear your stories.

Staying Cool as You Move

Summer begs us to get out of the house and enjoy the best days the Puget Sound has to offer. But however north we may be, we are not imhmune from heat exhaustion and heat stroke – especially in these last two months before cooler fall weather sets in. Here’s how to maintain your activity and stay healthy in the heat:

• Don’t Forget Your WATER! I bring a camel pack on my longer workouts. Carry water with you at all times, and if you prefer, freeze used bottles 1/4 full of water (instant ice!) so you can have cold water for most of the day. If exercising longer than 60 minutes, consider using a sports beverage such as Recharge by Knudsen’s to replace lost electrolytes.
• SHADE! Hiking trails are often shaded and 5-10 degrees cooler than walking in direct sun. We are blessed to have many parks and paths with canopy covers in and near the city. Use the summer months to explore them!
• Make friends with the pool…or lake, river, or other body of water. Water is just as important here, even though you may not feel as thirsty.
• Wear loose, breathable clothing when outside.
• Avoid strenuous activity during the hottest parts of the day – between 11am and 6pm for most days.
• Sunscreen is your friend! Use waterproof and sweatproof varieties and let it sit on the skin for at least 10 minutes before beginning your activity.
• Take it Easy! Trying to set any record is not a good idea on a hot day. Listen to your body and it won’t steer you wrong!

Coal Creek Trail in Factoria is a wonderful, moderately difficult trail that can be enjoyed by you and your family on summer afternoons. Just 30 minutes out of Seattle, this trail features coal mining remnants and a beautiful meadow. If you continue past the meadow, slightly up a service road and take a left back into the forest, you will come across waterfalls and an underwater cave. The trail ends across the street from Red Town Trailhead at Cougar Mountain. Be sure to bring ample water on hot days! The trail is about 4 miles round trip.

Directions: Take 405 to exit 10 (Coal Creek Pkwy) . This is one exit south of the I-90/405 interchange. Turn east onto Coal Creek Pkwy, past 128th Ave. SE for about 3/4 mile. You will curve to the right, and head down the hill past Forrest Drive. Once you reach the bottom of the hill you will pull into the small gravel lot immediately to the left. Please be careful as you prepare to turn – traffic behind you may be moving fast. The trailhead is directly ahead of the parking lot (on the right side).

It all adds up…

It’s no secret we are less active now than we ever have been. The creation of the automobile and the transition from the industrial age to the information age has us chained to our cars and our desks.
Statistics show our rate of walking has dropped by 42 percent over the past 20 years!! Is it any coincidence that the number of overweight Americans has increased nearly the same percentage in that amount of time as well?

The health benefits of even moderate walking (20-30 minutes a day) are prolific and unarguable. Those who are already active but have a few extra pounds hanging on may find additional, effortless walking to be the kickstart to moving the scale downward. Yes – it can be that easy!

You may be looking at me and asking, “How on earth can I fit in an extra 30 minutes a day when I have X, Y, and Z already booked in my day? How am I expected to find the time?” The marvelous thing is that it can be done little by little, throughout the day, with only minimal planning. Here are some ideas:

• If you commute to work using public transportation, get off one or two stops early and walk the rest of the way.
• Park on the furthest end of the parking lot. This also helps prevent those nasty door dings from careless drivers.
• Walk to a lunch spot outside the office to enjoy your meal.
• Incorporate a brief 10 minute walk after dinner to facilitate digestion, bond with family members, or reflect on the events of the day.
• Commit to a daily 10 minute walk break during the work week to clear your mind, reduce work stress, and stay refreshed in the afternoon before the commute home.
• If you have children in after-school sports, use some of the time they are in practice to get walk on an unused track or around the field and surrounding neighborhoods.
• Keep your walking shoes in the car at all times! They will eliminate excuses and remind you to “Think Active”!

Incorporating fitness into your lifestyle takes conscious effort, but the payoff is often larger than you imagine. A little fresh air is good for the mind as well as the body, and may be one of the only times in the day you get to pause for a moment and catch your breath. Seize the moment, and relish the results!