The days are getting shorter. Many of us have become all too familiar with the beast of seasonal depression. While the cause of it varies from one person to the next, there is a universal solution: exercise. Doctors at Mayo Clinic recommend taking little active steps throughout your day to boost up that activity level and your endorphins! Here’s a list of our top 5 favorite ways to boost up our step count on our activity trackers and overcome seasonal depression.

Stretch It Out
Start your day off right by skipping the morning news and taking 10 minutes to do a little yoga. Not only will you release the muscle tension from yesterday, but you’ll increase blood flow throughout your body (and brain!) to allow yourself to think more clearly.

Walk at Work
Slip on those wool socks and take a walk to work today. If you have an excessive morning commute, try shaking up your day with a 10 minute walking break when you find yourself at a productivity block. This can inspire a new wave of energy to avoid that lethargic 2:30PM feeling.

Do Yard Work
Instead of paying your neighbor’s kid to haul those leaves, finely tune your green thumb by pedicuring your own lawn. Make it a family affair: have the kids help rake up the leaves. Whoever makes the tallest pile wins the right to choose what’s for dinner!

Try A New At-Home Workout
Getting the the gym is half of the battle. Clear out the family room and try out a new (or old) workout DVD! Whether it’s Richard Simmon’s Sweatin’ to the Oldies or Sean T’s Insanity, they will surely rev up your heart rate in the comfort of your own home.

Dancing
Have you got a song that’s just been stuck in your head all day? Put it to use and dance! It sounds silly, but grooving to tunes is a great way to get exercise and you can do it virtually anywhere! (In your car, in the shower, at work, locked in your house with the blinds shut) Here at LTF we can never get enough of Uptown Funk.

These are just a few ways to treat seasonal depression with exercise. What are some of your favorite ways to boost your mood? Let us know in the comments!