Since we are in the middle of and approaching more holidays, this might be a good time to talk about a common problem for those who suffer from arthritis pain. Of course, I am talking about depression.

Depression and Pain

It is common knowledge that the holidays cause greater depression in everyone. I have never quite understood this but maybe it has to do with getting older. As the New Year approaches, we begin to feel that another year has come and gone. Well, we can't argue with that but I think it is important to reflect on some other things.

How is your arthritis doing?

Take a few minutes and think back about how you are doing with your arthritis pain. Has it improved in the past six months? For most of you who are regular readers of this Chronicle, the answer is almost certainly "yes." After all, who would have dreamed that even a few years ago that we would be "drinking" a liquid glucosamine to manage our arthritis pain? Or, that we would begin to learn that weight and lack of exercise were factors in our pain problems? Yes indeed, we have made a lot of progress in recent years.

I have to believe that most of you are doing better so it is really a question of dealing with the (normal) amounts of depression that occur during the holiday season. Remember, added depression means more pain. Just because all that extra food is shoved in front of us and we gain a few pounds doesn't mean that we have been back-sliding. Let's face it. It's just that time of the year.

Don't Stop Now…You are Winning the Battle

It is almost inevitable that you are going to put on a little extra weight during the holidays. It is also a near certainty that you will begin to ease back on your regular exercise program. Once you add back the depression factor, at least some of you are going to feel that things are not going your way in the pain department.

I am no different than you are. The holidays give me the perfect excuse to eat too much and skip my exercises. And, that (extra) holiday depression is going to catch up with me too.

Holiday Depression and Arthritis Pain

By now, you should all understand that depression and pain go hand in hand. If you are a regular reader of this Chronicle, you should also realize that exercise defeats depression. While this is a time of the year when we all feel entitled to "take it easy", it seems foolish to let (added) holiday depression make our joints suffer. After all, it only takes a few minutes a day to overcome it. Who needs depression and pain at such a wonderful time of the year?

It's a Small Commitment with Big Rewards

I realize that some of you are going to slide a little during the holidays. We all do it. We tend to simply rely on our liquid glucosamine supplement and let the diet and exercise part of keeping our joints healthy slip away. It is just part of a normal holiday thing. While some of you can get away with that, others cannot. If you find yourself facing pain that you thought you had lost, you can almost bet that it is the "holiday blues" and lack of exercise that is playing a role.

"Motivate" Yourself through the Season

About all I can say is to try your best. (I admit that even I tend to "slack off" during the holidays.) Just try to maintain at least a minimal amount of exercise. It can go a long ways toward defeating that inevitable depression. Remember that if you change your routine now, it only makes it harder to get back into a normal routine after the holidays.

Fortunately, a high-quality liquid glucosamine supplement is going to ease our arthritis pain without doing more. Nonetheless, if we want to keep our joints operating at maximum health and efficiency, exercise is going to play a major role.

This much I can guarantee you. If you are willing to stay on course with (a little) exercise during the holidays, your joints will reward you. It's amazing how it wards off those "holiday blues."

(Now, if you will excuse me…I am going to have another turkey sandwich and some of that pie.)

J.R. Rogers is the founder and President of Activex America, Inc. makers of Liquid Glucosamine Formula Syn-flex®