Feeling down? Take a walk!
EAU CLAIRE, WI (AP) — If the gloomy Wisconsin weather is getting you down, one Wisconsin doctor suggests you take a walk.
A Wisconsin Public Radio report says a healthy diet and exercise can help prevent the symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder. That’s a mood disorder that tends to occur in fall and winter months as daylight becomes more scarce.
Dr. Mahmoud Ahmed is a psychiatrist at the Marshfield Clinic in Eau Claire. He says one way to beat the blues is to take a walk. He says people tend to stay inside when it snows, but extra light that reflects off snow can help improve one’s mood.
Severe cases of Seasonal Affective Disorder can be treated with medication. But Ahmed says people shouldn’t underestimate the therapeutic value of being out in natural light.
