National UV Safety Awareness Month

We are excited about basking in a wonderful Michigan summer as we re-enter society. Covid cases are way down, a good percentage of the public is vaccinated (with more getting vaccinated every day), and we are ready to move forward. We have already had a lot of hot and sticky days with plenty more to come, so this is a good time to talk about July being UV Safety Awareness Month.

Let’s go to the beach and play! Let’s lay out underneath the golden sun and absorb its goodness. It sounds so nice and relaxing and something that we always look forward to. But wait a minute. Do we still really need to protect ourselves from the sun after what we have gone through during hell year? We have been through enough. It doesn’t seem fair. We want to dive into everything with a vengeance. 

Bubbles burst every day and this one is no different. You know the answer and it isn’t very hard. We still need to protect ourselves from the sun to minimize the risks of its damaging effects. 

What are those damaging effects? The sun exposes us to radiation in the form of ultraviolet rays which are called UVA and UVB. Both of these can damage our skin and eyes. UVB penetrates the outer layer of our skin and UVA penetrates beyond the top layer and down into the middle layer. 

If we aren’t careful about protecting ourselves from the sun, we can set ourselves up for some potentially harmful outcomes:

• Skin cancer (basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, melanoma)
• Premature skin aging
• Eye damage (cataracts, macular degeneration, keratitis)
• Vision problems (blurred vision, light sensitivity, excessive tearing)
• Immune system suppression (causing a defective immune response)

There are ways we can reduce our risk of too much sun exposure if we take precautions. As you spend time outside, make sure to practice these important tips for sun safety. 

• Stay in the shade under a tree, shelter or umbrella, especially during the midday hours of 10 am to 4 pm. 
• Remember that the sun can hurt our skin even on cloudy or cool days
• Wear clothes that protect exposed skin from the harmful effects of the sun such as long-sleeved shirts and long pants or skirts. Even a beach coverup or tee shirt can help. Darker colors offer more protection. Some clothes even offer UV protection.
• Wear a wide brimmed hat to shade the face, ears, neck and head. If you wear a baseball cap, you need to protect the back of your neck and ears by covering those areas or applying sunscreen.
• Wear sunglasses that block both UVA and UVB rays. These rays can reflect off surfaces such as sand, cement, water and even snow.
• Wear sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15. Dermatologists recommend an SPF of at least 30 that is water resistant. Reapply at least every two hours and after sweating, wiping yourself off with a towel, or being in the water
• Certain medications that we take can increase our sensitivity to the sun and increase our risk of getting sunburn (NSAIDs, tetracyclines, amiodarone)

PTI wishes you and your family an amazing summer!

https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/sunexposure/default.html 

https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/skin/basic_info/sun-safety.htm 

https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/sun-protection/sunscreen-patients/sunscreen-faqs     

Get Healthy in a Park!

The second Saturday of each June is National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) Family Health and Fitness Day. For this year, the date is June 12. The purpose of this day is to promote the importance of parks and recreation in keeping our communities healthy and fit. We need this more than ever this year as we re-enter society.

The health benefits of exercise are well-documented. However, most adults and children are not active enough. The CDC recommends children and adolescents have 60 minutes or more of physical activity per day and adults 150 minutes per week. Having access to great places like parks encourages us to get out and participate. The closer you live to a park, the more likely you and your family are to use it.

Physical activity and recreation benefits us in a number of ways:

• Improves mental health, mood and quality of life
• Helps control weight
• Reduces risk for certain diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, osteoporosis
• Strengthens bones and muscles
• Boosts immune system
• Improves ability to do activities of daily living (especially once we get older)

Parks can help improve the overall health and wellness of our nation by the simple act of just being outside in their glory. Beautiful outdoor settings support good health for people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities. Exposure to nature is good for us!

Think about all different things that you and your family can do in a park:

• bike
• playground activities
• picnic
• camp
• hike
• study nature (maybe have kids make a nature journal)
• observe wildlife
• take pictures of what inspires you
• play ball
• identify rocks
• scavenger hunts
• fly a kite
• bird watch
• fish
• swim
• boating
• play with your dog
• community special events
• challenge activities (races, obstacle courses)
• high adventure challenges (rock climbing, zip-lines)and so much more….

Being outside can help us bond with family and friends. Some parks have organized programs which encourages people of all ages to do things such as gardening and caring more about the environment. There are many positive impacts that parks and recreation can have on our physical, social and mental health. When we see the open spaces and trails, it encourages us to use them. And you know what? You just might make a new friend in a park while you’re becoming more physically active.

But we don’t just need one day for family health and fitness. We need to make this an ongoing occurrence in our lives as we get back to normal and the pandemic winds down. Taking better care of ourselves and our families by getting outside for a healthy dose of physical activity is a great start. Plan to have active family time at one of the wonderful parks in your community or around the nation as you ease back into vacation mode.

If you were a Parks and Recreation television fan like me, bring out your inner Leslie Knope and do your parks proud. Get out there and use them, so you don’t lose them. Be an inspiration to your community and each other.  

National Recreation and Park Association Family Health and Fitness Day
https://www.nrpa.org/events/family-fitness-day/

U.S. National Park Service – Find a Park
https://www.nps.gov/findapark/index.htm

Michigan National Park Service
https://www.nps.gov/state/mi/index.htm

Huron-Clinton Metroparks
https://metroparks.com

Discover the Forest
https://discovertheforest.org