Summer means consistently warmer weather and plenty of opportunities to boost our health and wellness. Below are five ideas to try while you enjoy this season’s many pleasures and its opportunities for improved health!
- Get some sunlight – Twenty minutes to an hour of sun per day should be plenty for your body to make enough vitamin D for good health. Vitamin D is a vital nutrient for your health. Smart sun exposure is the key to getting the benefits of sun exposure without overdoing it.
- Go barefoot – Making direct physical contact with the surface of the earth has been shown to reduce chronic inflammation, improve sleep, alleviate pain, and reduce stress. The next time you’re outside, try ditching your shoes for a short while or try laying down directly on the grass while reading a book or having a picnic. There are many ways you can increase your contact with the earth’s surface this summer. Who knows? Maybe you’ll find yourself sleeping better, feeling less pain, or experiencing an overall improved sense of well-being.
- Eat seasonally – Fruits and vegetables are more nutritious and more delicious when picked at their peak ripeness. An essential part of eating fruits and vegetables is making sure they are fresh and one of the best ways to assure this is to eat locally grown produce. In addition to health benefits, eating local is also good for your community. Attending a farmers’ market is a fun summer activity and is a great place to pick up local and seasonal produce.
- Repel bugs naturally – If you grimace about the possibility of mosquito bites you are not alone. Mosquitos along with other insects are far more active during the summer, and the thought of being covered in itchy bug bites may be enough to keep some people indoors for the summer. Bug spray and adequate clothing may help you escape the summer relatively free of bug bites. Make your own insect repellant or look for natural repellents made from essential oils such as lemon eucalyptus, peppermint, and geraniol to decrease your exposure to harmful chemicals that are found in common over-the-counter repellents.
- Flavor up your water – As the heat rises, nothing is better than a refreshing drink that provides nutritional benefits. If you struggle to drink enough water throughout the day, infusing water with natural flavors from fruit, vegetables, and herbs is a simple, healthy way to make drinking water much more enjoyable. Flavored water is the perfect replacement for soda, is easy and inexpensive to create at home, and will keep you and your family happily refreshed during the hot summer days to come. Try adding fruit such as lemon, lime, berries, or cucumbers to your water or try a combination for an added punch of flavor.
Summer precautions
As with any season, there are precautions you should stay mindful of. Be cautious of the following this summer:
Sun exposure: If you will be out in the sun for a length of time, make sure you are applying sunscreen that blocks UVA effectively. Tip: Using a natural, mineral based sunscreen has shown to be a better choice than the chemical sunscreens that are commonly available.
Poison Ivy: Learn how to identify poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac in all seasons as the best prevention is avoidance. Stay on cleared paths and wear protective clothing when you think you may be at risk. If you feel as if you have come in contact with a poisonous plant, wash all affected areas as soon as possible with soap and cool water.
Heat related illnesses: If you are working or playing outdoors, drink water frequently, wear loose, light-colored, lightweight clothing, pace yourself and take frequent breaks to avoid heat exhaustion, heat stroke or heat cramps. Danger signs of heat stroke can include profuse sweating, an elevated body temperature, dizziness, confusion, extreme weakness, and slurred speech.
Proper gardening/lifting: Make sure you use proper equipment and posture while digging, weeding, lifting, and lawn mowing to avoid back strain and low back pain.
Don’t overdo it, weekend warriors: For many of us, the weekend is a time to complete household duties and still have time for play. Weekend warriors are “everyday athletes”—training hard in a short window of time, the weekend. Weekend warriors maximize their weekends packing most, if not all, of their recommended physical activity into one or two days out of the week.
It’s OK if your busy work-week forces you to choose the weekend warrior life. But there are ways you can maximize your training efforts, including warming up and cooling down sufficiently, adding cross-training, and re-examining the structure of your workout.
Try easing into weekend activities and don’t try and get everything done if it causes stress. Make sure you are well hydrated, listen to your body, and take breaks every 15-20 minutes to stretch and rest.
Gear up for summer!
Try to incorporate some of these ideas and precautions into your summer schedule. You can boost your health and wellness through natural, effective ways mentioned above while still appreciating everything that the summer season has to offer.
