We are all a little bit depressed . . .

My friend recently said to me, “We are all a little bit depressed”. Isn’t that the truth.

It seems more important than ever to find things that are good for our mind, body, and soul. Even in the Pacific Northwest where the weather is let’s say, less than optimal (although having spent a lifetime of winters in upstate New York it seems darn great to me) getting out into nature brings with it a host of health benefits. And luckily, there are plenty of options in the Gorge.

According to Josh Lawler, a University of Washington environmental and forest sciences professor, “There is good evidence that spending time outside can reduce stress, depression levels and anxiety.” And, according to the EPA, Americans spend an average of 87% of their time inside buildings. Wow.

Yesterday I couldn’t bring myself to workout in my basement yet again. It’s a nice basement, but it’s still a basement. I grabbed my Kettlebell and jump rope and went outside. I had the best workout I’ve had in a long time. It wasn’t anything fancy, but it was a change of scenery and it was outside.

I then convinced my husband to head to Washington for a hike in the snow. To be clear it’s not his idea of a banner afternoon – but our dog Cooper could go so he agreed. We had a blast. And, it was free.

As we navigate the upcoming months, we would like to encourage you to be outside as much as possible. Bring your workout equipment, bring your water bottle, bring your dog . . . and, bring your sense of adventure! As we get older, we sometimes put "adventure" aside . . . let's dig it out and re-create it!

We are all a little bit better for it.

Coach Tammy