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Ahh, sunshine. I know they say it’s bad for you, but I can’t help but love it. It just brightens my mood! Anyways, it turns out a little sunshine is good for you (I already knew that, but now I have proof). After all, being cooped up indoors all the time can’t be good for you! But more than just getting out of the house, being in the sunshine has a lot of nutritional benefits too.
Sunshine gives you Vitamin D. You probably already know about that, but Vitamin D is important for many reasons that I didn’t even know about. If you’ve ever seen those Vitamin D commercials, you already know that Vitamin D supports the absorption of Calcium. Calcium helps build up strong bones and teeth, so you definitely need lots of these two nutrients.
Another awesome thing I learned about Vitamin D is that it’s an immune system booster. Over 500 studies have been concluded to support this theory. Who sunshine would enhance your immunity! However, I feel the need to be skeptical here. The reason people get sick more during the winter season is that they spend more time indoors to escape the cold, and they are exposed to more infections by being around more people who are carrying them. So who’s to say if its the close proximity to people when you’re indoors or the sunshine that makes the difference? I think they need to factor that into their studies. At any rate though, spending more time outside will decrease your chances of getting sick!
Now, I know that there are a few reasons not to go out and soak up some sunshine. As I’m sure you all know, skin cancer is caused by too much sun. The research I’ve read supports sun protection, and they say that you only need ten minutes of unobstructed sun exposure to reap all of these benefits. That means you can go outside, get the newspaper, talk to your neighbor for 5 minutes, go back inside, and you’re good! Then you can put on your SPF 100 sunscreen and move on with your life. Oh, and they also say that sunshine causes wrinkles. Again, all you need is 10 minutes a day. I don’t think that small amount of time will do any damage, do you?
Oops, I forgot the last benefit! When you are outside in the sun, you are way more likely to exercise than if you were to sit indoors all day. I know that for me, when I am inside I’ll probably be on the computer (like right now HAHA) instead of running on my awesome treadmill. Granted, I do use it, but I should spend more time running and less time on the computer. That’s another goal for me!
Anyways, sunshine is important. It will help boost your immune system, increase the strength in your teeth and bones, and encourage you to exercise more. Well, I think I’m going to go outside now. Bye!