Soak Up The Sun – It’s Good For You!
By John Nolan-Neylan, co-founder of high-performance nutrition brand, Revvies
John Nolan-Neylan
“This entire year has had a huge strain on all of our energy levels, and a third lockdown has left many feeling down in the dumps. In order to overcome this hurdle, it is really important for us to perk up and stay positive during these tough times.
“Our research highlights the dramatic negative impact this past year has had on our energy levels, and as lockdown measures ease, it is more important than ever for us to get out and enjoy the great weather. The mental strain brought about by lockdown, alongside the disruption to our routines and restricted freedoms, has without a doubt resulted in increased tiredness and fatigue for millions. With that said, these are just some of the benefits of getting out and soaking up the sun.”
Strengthens your immune system
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Vitamin D is critical for your immune system and one of the best ways to absorb it is through sunlight. In the time of Covid, a healthy immune system has never been more important as it can help reduce the risk of illness, infections and some cancers.
Reduces stress
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With many of us working from home now, or you could say living at work, it has become difficult to escape the pressures and stresses of work, but getting out in the sun could help. Being outside in the sunlight will actually help your body naturally regulate melatonin, which can help reduce your stress level and reactivity. Additionally, because you’re often doing something active when you’re outside such as walking, cycling or running, that extra exercise will also help to lower stress levels.
Helps to fight mild depression
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Sunshine is great for improving your mood and it does this by giving a boost to your body’s level of serotonin, which is a chemical that improves your mood and helps you stay calm and focused. Increased exposure to natural light may help ease the symptoms of seasonal affective disorder and help to fight off depression.
Improves sleep quality
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When sunlight hits our eyes, a message is sent to the pineal gland in the brain and production of melatonin (a hormone that makes us drowsy and helps us sleep) is shut down until the sun goes down again. Your body gets a clear signal that it’s no longer night and this helps to maintain a normal circadian rhythm. When it gets dark outside, your body gets the signal again and you feel tired and drowsy at bedtime. Low levels of melatonin production at night due to overproduction during the day has been linked to poor sleep quality, especially in older adults.
Enhances brain function
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Aside from promoting bone health and regulating vital calcium levels, scientists have now linked vitamin D with a number of functions throughout the body, including the functioning of the brain. A study by neuroscientist David Llewellyn of the University of Cambridge, assessed vitamin D levels in more than 1,700 men and women from England, aged 65 or older and found that cognitive function reduced the lower the subjects’ vitamin D levels were. However, more studies have found sunlight could help spur nerve cell growth in the hippocampus, which is the part of the brain responsible for forming, organising and storing memories.
Maintains strong bones
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One of the easiest ways to get vitamin D is by being outside. Our bodies produce vitamin D when exposed to sunlight and all you need for this is about 15 minutes in the sun a day. Vitamin D helps your body maintain calcium to support strong and healthy bones, so getting out in the sun is one of the easiest and most effective ways of strengthening your bones.
Moira Chisholm
I'm the Health Editor on My Weekly and am always interested to hear what's new in this fascinating field. I also deal with the gardening, shopping pages, general features, our website content and the Ask Helen problem page. I have a special interest in Christmas content because I'm on the team for Your Best Ever Christmas Magazine, too!
