How to deal with seasonal symptoms of affective disorder

Unfortunately, for many of us, when the weather gets colder and the nights get longer, our mood decreases and our weight increases. The symptoms of seasonal affective disorder begin to appear when the daytime hours dry up and we miss those few hours that are available to us due to the increased indoor time. The good news is that you can play an active role in relieving symptoms and benefit from increased weight loss through outdoor exercise in cold weather. Now is your chance to kstart your winter training and determine the best for the season.

HOW TO FIGHT SEASONAL AFFECTIVE MEANS OF MEANS

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) can affect everyone and occur in 6-14% of the population depending on where you live.⁽¹⁾ In addition to making you feel terrible, SAD can help you gain weight in the winter through increased eating comfort and time alone.⁽²⁾

Outdoor exercise may be the best solution to this serious problem. Light the terapy is a traditional treatment for SAD. This includes exposure to a SAD lamp designed to mimic natural sunlight. Most people respond to light therapy within a few days. The recommended use of a SAD lamp is 30-90 minutes a day at a power of 10,000 lux.⁽³⁾

In addition to light therapy, scientific evidence shows that outdoor exercise can also relieve the symptoms of seasonal affective disorder with the chemical release of serotonin (one of the hormones of happiness).⁽⁴⁾, and by natural exposure to sunlight!^{(5, 6)}

Exercise is a proven strategy for dealing with anxiety, stress and depression.⁽⁷⁾ Move this exercise outdoors during your lunch break and you will also benefit from natural daylight and fresh air.

Interestingly, the Japanese and Icelandic populations have a surprisingly low percentage of SADs, despite their northern location and short winter days.^{(8, 9)} It is believed that a fish-rich diet in both countries (60 and 90 kg per year compared to 24 kg in Canada) increases the basic reserves of vitamin D and fights the symptoms of SAD.

WHAT CAUSES WINTER EARNINGS

Winter weight gain is something, but don’t worry- it’s not the 2kg pile we read about in magazines. In fact, the average weight gain during the winter season is only 0.48 kg.⁽¹⁰⁾ The bestthe problem is that those extra pounds remain. They do not disappear during the summer months and over time can lead to obesity.

The reason for gaining weight in the winter is discussed, but the evidence points to two key factors; lifestyle and biology. Not surprisingly, during the winter months we prefer to cuddle inside and put away our sneakers. Add to that the heavy meals, chocolate and alcohol we consume during the holidays, and you have a recipe for weight gain.

BIOLOGICAL ORIGINS OF WINTER PROFIT

The biological origins of our weight in the cold season are much deeper: We humans have an innate desire to gain weight as a way to overcome food shortages.⁽¹¹⁾ Historically, this was worse during the winter months. The risk of overeating was not a problem then. Now we have to choose between the triple chocolate cheesecake and the profiteroles. Researchers from the University of Exeter suggest that the New Year may be the worst day to start a new diet.⁽¹²⁾ So as our biology evolves, we need a solution. Outdoor exercise is the perfect antidote.

COLD WEATHER INCREASES YOUR CALORIO

Exercise is undoubtedly one of the most effective ways to prevent unwanted weight gain. However, for significant weight loss, current physical activity recommendations are over four hours per week!⁽¹³⁾ Outdoor exercise in the winter is the secret to burning calories for the colder months. That’s why:

ACTIVATE YOUR BROWN DRUM

Most of our body fat is stored as inactive white adipose tissue (WAT), which offers insulation but cannot generate heat. In extreme cold, the tremor reaction can increase our energy expenditure (ie burning caloriesed) five times over resting level.⁽¹⁴⁾ HoHowever, shivering is very uncomfortable and is not recommended as a strategy to increase calorie burning.

Brown adipose tissue, on the other hand, has a special property. This vital tissue is activated at low temperatures, generating the heat we need to function normally. Heat generation at low temperatures, in addition to shaking, can take placeount for 11.8% of energy costs at rest.⁽¹⁵⁾ A recent study in Frontiers in Physiology found that BAT adapts to outside temperatures, generating more heat and burning more calories as the weather gets colder.⁽¹⁶⁾

We now spend 90% of our time indoors, where the ambient temperature is often controlled. It is believed that the increase in obesity is associated with our constant warm environmenting.⁽¹⁷⁾

Exercising in the cold will activate your brown adipose tissue (BAT) and improve your body’s ability to thermoregulate, while burning excess calories.

Activation of BAT by exposure to cold also increases insulin sensitivity, regulates blood sugar and reduces the risk of weight gain.^{(18, 19, 20)}

So, you have it. Outdoor exercises and wbetween workouts you burn more calories and improve your mood. Now you have the cold, difficult facts, it’s time to go out this winter. Lighten up Seasonal affective disorder symptoms outdoors exercise!!

If you need a little more motivation, try to fill up with adidas workout playlist. Put on your headphones and move!

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