After a seemingly endless summer, it seems that winter has finally arrived in Sydney. With shorter days and colder, wetter weather, it’s easy to fall into the ‘winter blues’. A good way to tackle this seasonal condition is to stay active.

Associate Professor Andrew Baillie is a registered psychologist and member of the Centre of Emotional Health. He says that, although Australia’s mild winters mean our winter blues are also generally milder, winter can make things harder for people who are already depressed.

“A small number of people might experience the severe form of winter blues known as seasonal affective disorder,” he notes. “Exercise in any form is helpful for managing depression, and you should contact your GP if you feel you need help. You can also check out online resources like the Centre for Emotional Health or Beyond Blue.”

Andrew suggests the following to improve your mental health throughout the winter months:

• To increase mood, reduce the blues and improve wellbeing, 30 minutes a day of moderate-intensity exercise (like a brisk walk) is recommended.

• Newer research suggests regular, briefer, but more intense, exercise might also lift mood (although more evidence is needed before this can be widely recommended).

• Any exercise is better than nothing.

• Make a realistic plan for tomorrow and do it with an exercise buddy to keep motivated.

With plenty of on-campus fitness options available to Macquarie staff, now is the time to set some good winter exercise habits:

Become a member of the Sport and Aquatic Centre
The Centre is currently offering new members a ‘buy four months, get one month free’ deal, with all new members receiving three training sessions plus a fitness starter pack. Find out more.

Join a Social Sport competition
Whether you’re a competitive person or love playing sport for fun, social sport competitions are the perfect opportunity to get fit, active and social. Registrations for the mid-year competition close next Monday 20 June.

Keep your kids active with children’s winter programs
The Sport and Aquatic Centre are currently offering up to 50 per cent off classes in their children’s winter programs (which include gymnastics, swimming and martial arts), as well as a 20 per cent discount if you refer a friend.