184The challenge for Wednesday is to increase your serotonin. Here’s what you need to know about serotonin: it’s a monoamine neurotransmitter biochemically derived from tryptophan and synthesized primarily in the enterochromaffin cells in the gastrointestinal tract, but also in serotonergic neurons of the central nervous system. It is metabolized to 5-HIAA by the liver, which…just kidding. Come back.

Here’s what you actually need to know about serotonin: if you’re in a funk, it will drag you out of your funk. If you’re doing alright, it helps increase and then maintain your sense of well being.

Two things to raise serotonin levels without drugs? Exercise and sunshine. Wednesday’s forecast is for sunny skies all day, and it’s a day for squats. Our Wednesday challenge, then, is to do 5 sets of 20 squats, outside. Try to spread these sets out throughout the day. If you have to get up out of your chair and go down 3 flights of stairs to make your way outside, that’s great. Think of them as sunshine breaks with 20 squats thrown in.

Go get them done, sunshine, and let us know. Your appreciations of the sunshine are most welcome in the comments.