Winter is tough on me. One of the reasons that I agreed to move to Florida over 21 years ago is that I tend to become dangerously depressed during the winter months. It is not so much the cooler { Florida is not cold} temperatures of winter as much as the limited sunlight. In spite of my Irish and Eastern European Jewish ancestry, I need sunlight to thrive. Looking back, I honestly do not know how I managed to survive a childhood in the cold and dark Northern Appalachians.
At any rate, January was " dark" in many ways for Brian and me In addition to the yucky January weather that is typical in Northwest Florida, my husband lost both his younger brother and his older sister in January.
To sum up January, it was DARK. Both Brian and I are glad that January is over-- and the first month of the year is now my least favorite month.
One of the ways that I stave off the bouts of winter depression is by exercise. I know that it is counter-cultural to many Americans to enjoy exercise, but I find it a healing balm for a hurting soul. One of the best parts about life in Pensacola is our wonderful Parks and Recreation Department. The City has a community center not far from our home, and in there is a small but clean and quiet workout room. Physical limitations preclude me from doing any heavy weight-training, but I am permitted to follow a program of cardiovascular exercises and light weightlifting.
My knees and spine no longer allow me to run in races , but physical therapist told me I can run on the elliptical machine-- and not worry about too much impact on my spine and knees. Last year I discovered that running a respectable mile on the elliptical provides me with a natural release of endorphins that carry out through the day. I've discovered that dark days are better when I make an effort to visit the gym and run a competitive mile on the elliptical.
I am grateful that my middle-aged body still can run.
I grew up in a family that values good stewardship of our bodies. While m younger brother is the more gifted athlete in my family-- we both inherited from our father a love of sports and competitive games. As I've grown older, I've realized that I m really only in competition with myself. Since I no longer run competitavely, the only person whose records I need to maintain or beat are my own.
I cannot control the amount of sunlight that Northwest Florida gets on any given day. However, I can find ways to fight the winter depressive episodes. Running helps me achieve that goal.
Namaste,
~Sarah
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