Head Outdoors and Move to Avoid Blues

By DONNA OLMSTEAD For the Journal

Getting outside to exercise may seem like an insurmountable task when you feel depressed, but “don’t wait for motivation. Start doing it before you feel like it and soon you will feel motivated,” says clinical psychologist Charles Elliott.

Personal trainer and physical therapist Charlotte Spencer, who owns Kaizen Training Studio in Corrales, says that working out with someone, whether a trainer or a friend, can boost motivation.

Spencer and Cyan Schrader, also a trainer from Kaizen Training Studio, suggest aerobic activity, like a brisk walk, coupled with a series of strength-building exercises that adapt well to typical playground equipment found in many city parks.

But, they say, “everything counts.”

“Rake the leaves, shoot some hoops in the driveway with your kids, play Frisbee or walk the dog,” Schrader says. Just being outside on a walk is inspiring, she says.

Exercising outdoors begins with assessing the weather and dressing in layers, wearing a hat, gloves and warm vest to keep the core warm. Drinking water to stay hydrated is important even in the cold, Schrader says.

To boost the intensity of a walk or hike, add a weight to a backpack, Spencer suggests. She says people shouldn’t wear wrist and ankle weights because extremities can get injured with the additional weight in the cold.

Goals to improve physical and emotional fitness are 30 to 60 minutes of moderate to intense exercise three to six days a week. Start slow and work toward goals gradually, she says. For example, if you run a mile in 12 minutes, work toward running a mile in 10 minutes in six weeks.

Here are exercises you can do outdoors.

To build leg strength, add a 10- to 20-pound weight to a backpack or fanny pack and do 10 lunges. For each lunge, step forward and then bend the back knee toward the ground, keeping the lower leg parallel to the ground. Make sure your front knee doesn’t go past your toes when you step forward. Repeat on the other side. (If weights aren’t handy, put cans of soup inside the pack.)

To build abdominal and upper body strength, hang from a bar on any stable playground equipment that allows your legs to extend suspended. Bring your legs in front of you so your torso and legs are at a 90-degree angle. Or bring the knees to the chest. Work toward 10 repetitions.

To build upper body strength, use a park bench for push-ups. Place your hands on the bench and stretch your body into a straight line from the crown of the head to the heels. Lower toward the bench and then lift away from the bench. For a challenge, reverse the position, placing hands or fists on the ground and feet on the bench seat, then lift and lower. Try for a set of 10 or 12 repetitions.

(c) 2008 Albuquerque Journal. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.