It is easy to feel morose when the weather is gray. It gets dark before you get home and you're faced with rainy days more often than sunny. Many people suffer from seasonal depression, or in more intense cases, SAD: Seasonal Affective Disorder. If you find that you are battling the winter blues, you might try increasing the frequency of your workouts, adding some new exercises to your regimen, or stepping up your existing training.
Exercise has several benefits, both physical and mental. In the case of the winter blues, exercise can provide the brain with feel-good hormones needed to get you going again. Some studies have shown that you can remain in an altered state for up to four hours from exercise. Even ten minutes of light exercise, such as walking, can have this kind of effect. Many studies have also shown that even fifteen minutes of activity can increase brain function and enhance learning abilities. If you're having trouble staying awake or paying attention, you might choose to go for a walk at lunch rather than take a nap- you'll feel more energized and be better prepared to focus on the rest of your day.
A study by the Duke University Medical System followed 156 patients during a course of treatment for depression. The patients were split into three groups; one group was assigned exercise (30 minutes/ 3x week), one group assigned medication, and one group was assigned both exercise and medication. At the end of the study, the patients were re-evaluated using standard measurements of depression. All three groups showed substantial improvement, and even more importantly- identical rates of improvement. This would indicate that exercise is just as effective a treatment for depression as medication.
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