“Excercise will get those feel good endorphins pumping better than anything else.

BY TOM BONANTI

Get More Sunshine, Exercise & Sex!

Sometime between Thanksgiving and mid-March, as the days grow shorter and the nights longer, millions of people experience a very common, but no less troubling form of depression. It is called Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, also known as the “winter blues”.

SAD affects over 10 million Americans, more women than men and geography (actually, latitude) plays a big role in who suffers from it. People in northern cities and rural areas are especially susceptible due to long dark brooding winters. But as our climate has changed radically over the past few years, even Floridians are prone to winter time blues. The good news is that SAD is easily treatable, and here’s what you can do to insure your place in the sun:

See a doctor to assess your symptoms if your depression persists for over a week. A professional can help you determine whether you have SAD and give you several treatment and coping options. You can start by tracking your mood swings in a journal. If you’re prone to the blues around the holidays and throughout January and February each year, you probably have SAD. Besides depression, other symptoms include anxiety, social withdrawal, oversleeping, appetite changes and weight gain. Your doctor can try a host of non-drug options first, but if work performance, relationships and other abilities to cope and function continue to suffer, he may put you on an antidepressant. Go with it, you’ll feel the difference in a few days.

Face it, we in South Florida have it made! While most of the country has been shoveling snow and braving single digit temperatures since Christmas, we’ve been working on our tans. Getting out into the sunshine and warmth can give you that dosage of light that you need to forget those winter woes. Exercise will also get those feel good endorphins pumping better than anything else, except of course, more sex. It’s easier to put away your gym bag when it is cold and miserable; but when it’s bright and sunny, even the grumpiest bear will prefer to get out and shake it up rather than hibernating at home.

Try light therapy. Throw open the drapes and let daylight stream in as soon as you wake up. Install skylights, if possible, and keep tree limbs trimmed so they won’t obstruct sunlight shining in through the windows. If it’s sunny outside take a walk during work breaks and eat your lunch outside. As the days grow longer you should feel your mood improving gradually and naturally.

Dr. Mark Leifesti, a psychiatrist who specializes in the treatment of patients suffering from SAD suggests that additional relief can come from including more B and D vitamins, Omega-3 fatty acids, St John’s Wort, massage, hot baths, psychotherapy, having more sex, afternoon power naps, and spending more time with your pets. Above all, take comfort in three things: you’re not a hypochondriac; you’re not turning into a grumpy, hibernating bear; and winter doesn’t last forever!

If all of the above doesn’t lift your spirits, grab a copy of Florida Agenda or check in with Mark’s List online and be a part of everything that’s cooking this season in South Florida.

Tom Bonanti is a certified personal trainer and owner of Pump’n Inc Gym at 1271 NE 9th Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304, Facebook: TrainerTomB. www.pumpnincgym.com