Exercise outdoors and balmy sunshine. They go together like peanut butter and jelly. It’s just the best feeling. If you could bottle contentment. This would be it. (Check out how to exercise in the heat, because that’s a whole ‘nother story).
Here’s what you need to know about exercise, the outdoors, and your skin. On one hand, exercise has a positive impact on skin health and may even have an anti-aging effect.1 Cardio increases blood flow and the delivery of nutrients and oxygen to the skin’s cells. This feeds the skin and aids the process of repair and regeneration. Plus, exercising outdoors and in the sun comes with a host of further benefits on health and wellbeing.23456
On the other hand, most of us don’t use enough sun protection or use it incorrectly when we head outside to workout, leading to unsafe sun exposure.789 And that can lead to skin damage, increasing the likelihood of wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, scaly patches called actinic keratosis, and skin cancer.1011 All the bad stuff. So let me rephrase. Despite the happy hormones coursing through your veins and the feeling of invincibility as you workout, you don’t have magic powers to divert the sun’s rays when you’re excising.
This means it’s key that you take proper precautions to protect your skin against the sun, reduce the risk of sun damage, and avoid the weathered skin aesthetic of a 19th century cowboy. Reap all the benefits of exercising outdoors and avoid the pitfalls. So, whether you’re running outdoors, hiking, playing golf, or rock climbing here’s what to do.
Protect Your Skin from the Sun
Reduce sun exposure during outdoor exercise with these sun protection strategies:12
- Limit time in the midday sun, especially between the hours of 10 am and 2 pm, when the sun’s rays are at their strongest. Consider exercising after 4pm when the sun is less intense. If you’re outdoors during this time try to seek shade when possible.13
- Sunscreen. Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with high SPF on exposed areas, particularly on your face and neck. General advice is to reapply sunscreen every 2 hours. However, when exercising and sweating a lot (or swimming), the recommendation is to reapply sunscreen every 40 or 80 minutes, depending the type of water-resistant sunscreen you’re using.14 (If you’re doing activities where you need to keep hands clean and grease-free, such as rock climbing, follow the guidelines to apply sunscreen for that activity). Water-resistant sunscreens tend be more protective if you’re sweating, and also less likely to run into your eyes. If you’re out for hours, consider sunblock for your lips.
- Cover up. A hat with a brim protects your eyes, ears, face and neck. If it’s not too hot, opt for long-sleeves and long pants to cover your skin. Choose workout clothes with a high UV protection factor (UPF), which indicates the clothing’s ability to block UV rays. Clothes in dark colors generally offer more protection from the sun than light-colored clothes. Furthermore, fabrics like polyester and rayon have a higher UPF than cotton, and are also breathable and moisture-wicking (cotton absorbs moisture and gets heavy when wet, leaving you feeling cold and uncomfortable when you sweat).15
- Sunglasses. Choose UV-blocking sunglasses that block 99% to 100% of UV-A and UV-B rays. Consider wraparound sunglasses that keep the sun out from all angles. Make sure your sunglasses stay put and resist slipping, even when your skin gets moist and sweaty.16
Exercising outdoors in the sunshine has many benefits on both physical and mental health, and general wellbeing. But it’s important to reduce the risks associated with sun exposure. So protect your skin from the sun.
And trust me on the sunscreen.
