April Charlo and her son take a snowy yet invigorating winter walk. (Photo courtesy of April Charlo)
Letâs face it: exercising in the winter cold is tough. We want to cozy up with a blanket and hibernate like our friends, the bears. Unlike our fur-coated distant cousins, however, us humans need to stay active and socially connect in all seasons to stay mentally and physically well. With pandemic restrictions keeping us from gathering indoors, going for a cross-country ski with the family or braving a solo run on the crunchy pavement or trail may help us beat those cold-weather blues that come with shorter days and minimal sun. In some cases, this may even lead to Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a depression that can set in at various times of the year. To learn more about this, I asked Shawna Buffalo, CSKT Mental Health Therapist, if she could share more about this disease and if exercise could help relieve some of the symptoms. The follo