The Exercise Rut

For a couple of seemingly long weeks now, I've been in a major Exercise Rut - as you might've gathered by the obvious post title.

Autumn (or rather, WINTER - IT'S FREEZING!) has well and truly hit and has quite literally sent perm-shivers down my spine. I'm a chilly morsel at the best of times, with a poor circulation to match. What does this equate to? The Simpson's fingers scenario.

Whilst I deal with my lack of body heat, I must also contend with my lack of motivation to exercise, as prompted by these lack-lustre weather conditions (not that I should be complaining, considering the devestation that's being caused by the powerful force of Nature in other parts of the world - God bless all of those who've been affected by hurricane Sandy).

Despite my previous post advocating the power of exercising in colder and wetter weather, I haven't exercised outside in at least a week. Clocks have gone forward an hour, too, meaning that it's dark outside by 5pm! Another reason why it feels as if I'm nearing the fateful 'hibernation' period.

However! Motivation must be restored somehow, and - luckily for me - this comes in the form of some seriously cool and sexy new shoes.



Yep, I'm the proud new owner of these Nike Free Run 3 trainers, courtesy of my excellent present-finder of a brother! I'm jealous of my own feet when I'm wearing these babies (I just cringed at that statement, like everyone else who might also be reading this post).

I've been meaning to test drive them for the past few days (outside of my own home), and I'm hoping tomorrow will kindly allow me a clear outlook weather-wise; I don't think I can quite bare the thought of potentially getting these even slightly dirty or wet.

So here's to happy running feet! Got any new gear to perk up the idea of running/exercising this Autumn/Winter? Share with me!

Exercise your way to Happiness

Studies show that depressed people can alleviate their symptoms by up to 47% with regular aerobic exercise (source). So not only is exercise good for the body, it is equally - if not more - essential for the mind and brain. Harvard psychiatry professor and author John Ratey states, "people become much more emotionally regulated [with regular exercise] and their cognitive abilities are much better."

This fact is all the more prominent now that the chilly British Autumn has settled in (cue rain, rain, wind, and more rain! - and wet feet and hair, might I add). With sub-SAD (a milder variant of Seasonal affective Disorder) affecting over 90% of the adult population (symptoms including subtle changes in moods, energy and sleep over the season change), it is important to compensate for the lack of sunlight - which results in lower serotonin levels (this is the 'happy' hormone that helps to regulate mood, appetite and energy) - by getting outside as much as possible. Even if all of your body cells are screaming against it, exercising outdoors rather than inside can really benefit you at this time of year!

Exercising outside in the blustery Autumn and Winter months may seem like a necessity that we'd rather do without, but it really can do wonders for your mentality and general mood. I find running in the colder weather more satisfying than in warmer weather conditions - there's something about that cold whip of crisp air that I find oddly invigorating! Compared to the humid temperatures of Summer - well, there's nothing to compare. Combined with the knowledge that a (hopefully) warm shower and home (and dinner, if you're really lucky) is on the cards after your workout, it's all-the-more bearable to maintain your motivation whilst pounding the pavements!