Summer is here! With summertime comes many fun outdoor activities, including ways to stay safe while enjoying your time in the sun.
Here are six tips to help you make the most of your time outdoors.
1. Protect Your Delicate Skin From the Sun
It can be tempting to go fresh-faced on a walk or leave your hat at home for the day, but many people forget just how brutal our sun’s rays are. It’s essential to sit in the shade, especially during the heat of the day (midday).
If you have to walk your dog or be outside, consider applying broad-spectrum sunscreen before you leave your house. Wearing sunscreen with at least SPF 15, wide-brimmed hats, and protective clothing goes a long way towards avoiding heat stroke, skin cancer, sunburns, wrinkles, and more.
2. Don’t Forget Insect Repellent
After applying sunscreen, insect repellent prevents nasty bites from mosquitos, ticks, and other biting insects. Mosquitos and ticks especially can carry serious diseases.
If you live in an area rife with mosquitos, wearing long pants and long sleeves can also cut back on unwanted visitors.
3. Always Keep Cool
Heatstroke and dehydration can be severe conditions. Heatstroke, especially, means that when you’ve had it once, you’re likelier to have it again.
- Drink plenty of water and electrolytes
- Avoid black or heavy clothing
- Be aware of any heat alerts in your area
- Know the signs of heatstroke
- Stay in the shade
- Keep your furry friends in mind by giving them lots of water and shade
How Do I Stay Cool When in Menopause?
If you want something in reach right now that can help cool your body, here it is: your breath! Your breath is always with you, so it’s a great tool. Try this cool breathing technique called “Sitali Pranayama.” Bonus: other benefits of this technique may include decreasing agitation and anxiety as well as improving focus.
Watch how to do this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pg4a6G2Lzas
While you’re still calmly situated, why not also try these yoga poses to cool the body? Check out these “cool poses” to beat the heat.
Other Natural Ways to Beat the Heat
Hot days can really put a damper on your mood, make you feel sluggish, and sometimes can just feel plain unbearable. It’s always great to find natural ways to improve your well-being. Certain essential oils like lavender, peppermint, and Ayurvedic sandalwood have been used to produce cooling effects on the body. Luckily, essential oils are very popular these days so you can easily find them at many retail outlets—even at grocery stores.
Inhaling the essential oils and even putting a few dabs of it on your forehead, back of neck, or temples could be enough to cool down and maybe even give you a sense of calm. Read this blog to learn more.
4. Summer Is a Great Time to Move Around
It’s easy to justify sitting indoors when the weather is cold or rainy, but summer is a great time for biking, jogging, swimming, or just taking a walk! Try to get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity every week.
The benefits of being active include reduced stress and anxiety, better sleep, and better health.
5. Eat Healthier
Summer is a great time to take advantage of the many fresh fruits, vegetables, and berries in abundance. You can snack on watermelon and strawberries while reading a book by the poolside. Or, if you’re going to the beach or lake, pack a cooler with hummus, carrots, cucumber, pita chips, whole grain bread, yogurt, and lots of fruit.
Replace processed foods like pizza and burgers with a fresh salad.
You’ll feel more refreshed, healthier, and less stuffed at the end of the day. If you’re in the Westlake Village area of Thousand Oaks, you should schedule an appointment at HERA Healthcare to have get your VITAMIN SCORE using the Pharmanex biophotonic scanner!
- How well equipped is your body to fight off inflammatory free radicals, disease, cancer or aging?
- Are your vitamins working?
- Is your diet rich in anti-oxidants?
- Your score can be very telling!
If you’re ever wondering or asking yourself the above, then this scan is a great deal!
6. Plan a Fun and Active Vacation
Summer is the best time to plan an outdoor vacation with your friends and family. Activities can range from hiking, kayaking, tubing, camping, snorkeling, biking, scuba diving, renting a waterfront property, and much more. This is a great way to spend time in nature while getting lots of exercise.
Traveling is perfect for this season: you get to see and do more instead of traveling during cold or dreary months.
Just remember to apply your sunscreen!
7. Bonus Tip! How to get a good sleep during the hot summer months?
It’s definitely getting hot these days! Try turning on the AC before going to bed and open sheets to cool them down. No AC? Keep the ceiling fan on if you have one and make sure to wear, thin and breathable cotton summer PJs. Keep a container with iced water by your bed, in case you wake up hot during the night. Consider avoiding exercise after 5 pm as the body might need time to cool down after strenuous activity. A little lavender essential oil massaged into your temples or back of the neck can help relax you and promote deeper sleep, with less episodes of waking up throughout the night. Magnesium can help your muscles relax and reduces anxiety promoting better sleep.
Last but not least, if hot flashes make restful sleep seem impossible discuss this issue with your doctor. Estrogen replacement can restore your sleep quickly. Progesterone helps many women relax and have a deeper and more restful sleep. Do not ignore your hormone balance. Anxiety caused by stress or hormonal imbalances can wreak havoc on your sleep – address the cause! Dr. Mirela Cernaianu at HERA Health Care will work to help you identify the problem you might have and restore your sleep.
