"Exposing skin to sunlight may help to reduce blood pressure, cut the risk of heart attack and stroke - and even prolong life, a study suggests. [. . .] The findings suggest that exposure to sunlight improves health overall, because the benefits of reducing blood pressure far outweigh the risk of developing skin cancer." Read more...
To those of us who have a long-term love-affair with the sun, this only confirms our suspicions. The sun is awesome! I've never really been a sunbather until I got older. I do still race my sons in the pool, walk on the beach, look for sea shells, build sandcastles, and swim like I used to, but naps are also involved now, which generally equates to sunbathing. I always use SPF 35 on my face and a little less on my body to limit my exposure. Whatever it takes to appreciate a day in the rays without going overboard. I think we can all agree, no one feels happy with a sunburn.
"Researchers studied the blood pressure of 24 volunteers who sat beneath tanning lamps for two sessions of 20 minutes each. In one session, the volunteers were exposed to both the UV rays and the heat of the lamps. In the other, the UV rays were blocked so that only the heat of the lamps affected the skin."
This part of the study was meant to prove that it's not the volunteer's vitamin D levels that affect his or her health in this case, but what it also confirms is that we're not just enjoying the vacation mindset that hanging out by the pool or relaxing on the beach puts us in. It's not just the beer, wine, and cigars (ok, so I don't smoke and I don't drink beer). We're actually experiencing a legitimate physical change. And it feels incredible! So safely soak up those rays! Stay hydrated, come in for breaks every couple of hours, and protect your skin. The sun does cause damage and accelerates aging, even though you feel like a million bucks while it's happening.
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