Feeling down? Go chop wood or something.

The thing I hated most about growing up, at the time was, the endless amounts of fire wood I had to split and stack for my dad. My dad would go out and cut trees bringing back what seemed to be the whole forest, and my brothers and I had the pleasure of making sure it was split and stacked for those cold winter Central Oregon nights.

Little did I understand at that age the benefits of what was taking place as I swung a splitting maul over my head; making stove size pieces of  wood over and over again. As I look back on this life changing event, I now realize the multiple health benefits that were not so evident to a teenage kid who would rather have been inside than standing in front of the chopping block.

The physical activity of swinging a splitting maul and stacking all that wood was in fact producing all the wonderful effects associated with a workout. It's well known even short spurts of exercise create a natural high as some call it, where your body releases endorphins into the brain and produce an improved mood and reduced stress levels . "Regular physical activity will provide more health benefits than sporadic, high intensity workouts, so choose exercises you are likely to enjoy and that you can incorporate into your schedule", says the American College of Sports Medicine brochure Finding Your Motivation for Exercise.

So if these benefits are so good for us, why is it so hard to stay consistent? Why wouldn't we want to always feel good about ourselves and overcome the down swings? That's what I've struggled with over the years and as a kid it was hard to see all the benefits I was providing myself. I didn't know back then, but chopping wood was most likely keeping both me and one of my brothers from joining the crowd of those who take prescriptions to offset the effects of depression. I still feel the onset of what I might call depression at times, but I focus on being consistent with my workouts (living an active lifestyle), and eating healthy. It's hard to measure, but I think how I feel speaks volumes for the effort I'm putting into it.

If you find yourself struggling with feeling down try a few activities you like vs trying to attack a super intense workout. Maybe it's walking or riding a bike. It could be a couple of sets of 30 second planks to help strengthen your core. What ever it is, get after it and in the words of my Dad, "get out there and chop wood!"

If you find this inspires you to take a step toward helping yourself feel better, pass it on and share it with someone you know who may need help. You're worth it and so are they!