Rise and shine! The sun is rising and you want to shine along with it. Great idea! Sunshine exposure, after all, carries tremendous benefits for the physical and psychological health of your body.
It boosts Vitamin D in your body, improve the immune system and regulate blood pressure. Sun exposure benefits also include doing wonders for your mood. In fact, it’s proven to boost the level of Serotonin, which is one of the happy hormones in your body. You’d enjoy stress relief and better sleep later at night as well.
Problem is, overexposure to the sun causes certain disadvantages. Think of heat exhaustion, heatstroke, eye problems, sunburn, sun rash and even skin cancer among other ailments. You don’t want to get any of these, but you don’t want to stay completely away from the sun too.
That’s why you must learn how to efficiently reap the most out of sunshine benefits for health today.
Here’s how to optimize the Perks of Sunshine Exposure to your Body
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Fully enjoying sunshine benefits for health is about getting enough sunlight each day. After all, its negative effects stem from overexposure or long hours of staying under the heat. Staying under the sun through unsafe hours without any protection is harmful as well.
In other words, the key to getting the sunniest perks also circles on safety while under the sun. Of course, it’s having fun along as well. Hence, you must know the best ways to enjoy the sun, as well as some safety tips for sun exposure today.
1. Getting Best Amount of Vitamin D
Sunshine exposure helps in the production of Vitamin D in the body. Fun fact: your body doesn’t get Vitamin D from the sun. Instead, sunlight helps with its production from cholesterol.
Sunlight carries Ultraviolet B (UVB) rays. When UVB rays hit cholesterol in your body, it offers enough energy for Vitamin D synthesis to take place.
Now, remember that the amount of Vitamin D your body produces depends on the amount of sunlight you get. If you have fair skin complexion, for example, the usual 10 to 15 minutes is enough. But if you have darker skin, you may need 20 minutes or more for enough UVB rays to penetrate your skin.
Longer time staying under the sun is also needed for those who live far from the equator. That’s because most of the sun’s rays are absorbed by the Ozone Layer in these areas. During the naturally dim months, such as throughout winter, get Vitamin D from supplements and food sources instead. Think of fatty fish, cheese, egg yolks and beef liver among other sources.
Be sure, however, to avoid staying under the sun for more than 30 minutes without protection. That’s one of the essential sun exposure safety tips you must keep in mind.
2. Let Natural Lights make you Bloom Psychologically
Similar to plants, humans also bloom because of sunlight. It’s about making you feel more vibrant, help in recovery and even aid in stress relief. Experts even acknowledge sunshine exposure as one of the best medicines patients must receive.
To fully enjoy this sunny benefit, all you need to do is let natural sunlight come to your home or office. You get it! Open your windows, draw your curtains and blinds as well as take some sunlight break along with coffee breaks from work.
The air in your locale is undesirable? Consider installing skylights on your roof or windows.
3. Move under the Sun
People commonly exposed to the sun through sunbathing, which is a stationary way of getting sunlight. Sunbathing is great, but staying under the sun while moving is even better. Think of jogging a mile or two to reap morning sunshine benefits. Doing some exercise routines or the Sun Salutation Yoga is a great idea as well.
It’s even great to prefer walking to the office or school early in the morning. Be sure, however, that you still have enough time to prepare upon arriving, so you can remove all your sweat before timing in.
Sunlight helps in magnifying the effects of physical exercises on the body. As cited by scientific research, sunlight boosts the energy of cells, hence helping them function better. However, similar to exercise routines, your body needs regular sun exposure to feel tremendous effects. So, make it a habit to spend around 20 minutes under the sun each day.
Just be sure to do it before 10:00 AM to avoid the harmful rays of the sun. Sun’s heat usually beats from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM each day.
4. Make Protection a Habit
Getting sunshine exposure through the suggestions above helps you make the most out of its perks. But as mentioned previously, be sure to observe proper safety each day. This is to avoid getting the bad effects of overexposure to your body.
Safe sun exposure tips include using protective agents when staying under the sun for more than 30 minutes. But don’t wait for that long when the sun is beating hot. Use sunglasses, a wide brim hat, umbrella and stay under shade as much as possible.
When using sunblock, choose those with SPF 30 and above, and apply about an ounce throughout your skin. Focus on the face, back of your ears and shoulders among other spots that receive direct sunlight. Reapply every 2 hours, or once an hour when you go swimming and when sweating.
Again, remember that direct sunlight becomes harmful around 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM each day. That’s when the sun is at its peak above. So, avoid going under the heat of the sun, and enhance your protection during these hours. Schedule your daily exposure before and after.
Lastly, never use tanning beds despite the alluring advertisements about them. Manufacturers claim tanning beds help in Vitamin D production through Ultraviolet-A rays, which is biologically untrue. As mentioned earlier, you need UVB rays for it. Also, tanning beds are directly associated with skin damage and deadly skin cancers.
Make yourself Vibrant with the help of the Sun today!
Sun is certainly the primary source of Earth’s energy. Of course, it provides many perks to humans aside from energy alone. Proper sunshine exposure proves helpful for your physical and psychological health. And that leads to a better and more vibrant you.
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