Physical fitness...the elusive. goal. It's that time of year again in the Midwest when the daylight hours decrease and the wind and rain replace mild sunny days. Outdoor exercise becomes less appealing, given the dark and damp conditions. The logical choice is to move the workouts indoors to the gym. The problem with indooor workouts is that, while physical fitness is improved, mental fitness still deteriorates. I use exercise to cope. I need the sunshine to ward off depression. The never-changing view from the treadmill compounds my sense of boredom. The solitary nature of strength training does not alleviate my feelings of detachment from the community in which I live.. My hope is that it's only six more months until spring.