Moving On From Winter Blues

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January 30th, 2019

Let’s face it, there seems to be a lot of bad news around just now. But with any luck, that low mood swing that commonly occurs during January will start to subside with the welcome arrival of February and it’s gradually lengthening hours of daylight. There’s still a bit of winter, and probably some more bad news to get through though.

It’s time to take back control. Kick out the seasonal blues by getting a bit more active.

A study published this month in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) reported that physical activity is an effective way to prevent depression as well as reduce existing feelings of low mood.

Researchers offer four simple pieces of advice:

Number One:
Start somewhere – something is better than nothing at all.

Number Two:
Start small – begin with light walking or stretching and work from there

Fitness class near Stow-on-the-Wold

Number Three:
Do it with others – this helps motivation and boosts social interaction

Number Four:
Don’t wait until you feel like it – when you get moving, the good feelings often follow

None of this advice is intended to be a replacement for seeking medical advice on other treatment options. It’s worth noting that in other studies, participants who took exercise as well as an antidepressant had a much better chance of recovering than those who did less or no exercise.

It could be the absolute last thing you feel like doing but…

…the research shows that breaking through the feelings of inertia and getting yourself moving around more will really help to set you on the right road towards a more positive outlook on life.

So if you’re looking for a supportive space in which to get into exercise, check out FitActive Group Exercise classes near to Stow-on-the-Wold and Chipping Norton. Or for one-to-one exercise sessions uniquely tailored to your needs and delivered in a Cotswold-based studio gym, book yourself into FitActive’s Personal Training.

Source: “Assessment of Bidirectional Relationships Between Physical Activity and Depression Among Adults”, JAMA Psychiatry 23 January 2019