Stay healthy this winter season

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – As the season gets colder everyday, Michiana doctors want you to make sure you are not only physically but mentally healthy this cold season.

Doctors at Memorial Hospital say that every year people are affected by Seasonal Affective Disorder, which can have symptoms that range from severe depression to feelings of unhappiness.

Once the sun goes away during the winter months the basics that keep people feeling happy tend to get ignored.

“Here it can be a real problem for people that live in this environment who function really well all year long except for when you get these day after day of gray overcast,” says Steven Spigler, Emergency Physician at Memorial Hospital South Bend.

“It’s too cold to go outside, you feel trapped, and it just exasperates the depression a little bit.”

That depression can be avoided by maintaining a healthy routine.

“Particularly I think proper diet and exercise are overlooked when it comes to depressed patients,” says Spigler.

Doctor Spigler recommends boosting your spirits by getting your body moving.

Although conditions outside are not ideal to work out in, there is no reason for your shoes to get dusty this season.

Doctors say to lace up your running shoes and have some fun indoors.

Whatever you do, it is important to just stay active.

Heath Lashmit from Osceola says he hits the gym even when the skies get gray.

“I like to stay active when it gets bad outside, it kind of gets depressing sitting in the house all day and I like to get out and do stuff,” says Lashmit.

Along with proper diet and exercise, doctors say one of the best things you can do for your mental health this season is to just enjoy the snow by surrounding yourself with family and friends and keep a social environment around you.