How To Stay healthy And Active In The Hot Weather

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Photo by Matteo Angelino on Flickr

It’s that time of year again! Time for sunbathing and lounging by the pool and beach days and barbecues. The summer is all about rest and relaxation, it’s been a long and arduous year or so, and we all deserve a bit of a welcome break from it all. But that doesn’t mean we should start getting complacent with staying fit, active and healthy over the summer months. Many people find the winter months difficult with maintaining an active lifestyle, what with the cold, bitter weather preventing us from doing anything outdoors as and not to mention all that delicious holiday food. 

However, many people also struggle with the summer months, especially at a time where it is easy to feel insecure about your body. Body positivity is important and crucial for not only maintaining good self-esteem but also for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. 

It must be said that though we should all be able to enjoy the summer and everything it has to offer, overexposure to the sun can be dangerous for your skin, and it’s possible at this time to suffer from heat exhaustion. 

Here are some fun and useful tips for enjoying your summer and the sun whilst staying active and safe in the heat. 

SUNSCREEN, SUNSCREEN, SUNSCREEN!

Presumably, you’ve been told countless times in countless different ways, but the importance of sunscreen cannot be understated. UV in the sun’s rays can damage the skin’s natural defences and make you more prone to and cause skin cancer. Many medications can also leave the skin particularly sensitive to the sun. It’s important to apply sunscreen at all times as they create a layer of UV protection between your skin and the sun. Overexposure to the sun has also been known to increase signs of ageing as well as causing painful burns across the exposed skin. You should be able to enjoy the sun with confidence; sun protective cream will help you achieve that. 

Hats and sunglasses

There’s more than one way to protect yourself from the sun. Hats are a safe and stylish way to keep your face and eyes out of the sun. Any sort of hat is great, be it a big sun hat or a little baseball cap, get something that works for your style and that suits you. Sunglasses are great too, and there are so many different designs and styles. The sun can also damage your eyes, so it’s important to purchase a tint with high UV protection.

 Stay Hydrated

Again, the heat can be dangerous in a number of ways unless you’re smart about it. It is vital to drink plenty of water. Not only is it good for your body and keeping yourself hydrated, which is a lot harder when you’re sweating a lot in the sun, but it’s also very good for your skin and keeping it fresh and vibrant. Especially if you’re planning on doing a lot of exercises this summer, we implore you to always carry a refillable water bottle around with you and refill it as much as you can. You can never drink too much water!

Eat Plenty OF Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

Of course, it’s summer, you’re going to want to have a barbeque, and who can blame you? It’s the perfect time of year for it. That means plenty of burgers, hotdogs, ribs etc. That’s a lot of meat and a lot of carbs. Salty and fatty meat is high in cholesterol and has been known to lead to high blood pressure and heart disease. This is not meant to be alarmist, just something to be aware of. This summer, consider looking toward healthier bbq alternatives. Vegetable skewers are always great on a BBQ, especially with some halloumi. Perhaps also consider meat alternatives. Meat alternative options have come a long way since bean burgers were the only vegetarian option on the menu. Now there are so many different meat alternative options, everything from burgers to steaks to ribs, and they are basically indistinguishable from the real thing. Who knows, now might just be the time to give up meat and start looking toward the vegan option; it’s healthier, better for the environment and affordable. Also, many great fresh fruits are in season now and delicious at this time, don’t forget to eat your five a day!

Vitamins 

Many people are sleeping on vitamins, but they’re a great supplementary way to boost your physical well being. They’re important. If you’re planning on avoiding the sun this summer and staying inside, it might be worth investing in some vitamin D tablets, which you naturally get from the sun and helps regulate calcium and phosphate in the body. You can get them over the counter, or you can be prescribed them by your doctors. You can even put in your prescription online! For nhs prescriptions online, check out the link provided.

Swimming

Even with a hat, with your sunglasses and with sunscreen, it may still be too hot to jog or cycle this summer. Most outdoor exercises will see you completely exposed to a cloudless sunny sky and you can easily get exhausted. You could try going to the gym, but it’s likely that their air-conditioning isn’t up to snuff. A fun and cool way of exercising whilst still enjoying the summer is by swimming or any water sports really. You could surf, wakeboard or play water polo, whatever suits you really. They’re a lot of fun and very cool in the sun (especially if you’re doing it in the sea!) Swimming helps work out your entire body using every single muscle group. It’s a great way of maintaining overall fitness and strengthening your core. Give swimming a go this summer, and who knows, you may be on your way to the next Olympic games!

Hopefully, this list has helped you get some idea of how to keep fit and healthy over the summer months whilst staying safe against the sun. There are plenty of ways, here are only a few. The most important thing is that you have fun and enjoy yourself this summer!