Running in the summer is one of my all-time favorite activities. I love being in the warm sunshine, soaking up rays that I so long for in the winter months. But I’m also not short-sighted and I realize my love of the sun comes with an asterisk. As a runner, I’m often logging miles on open roads in the heat of the day. Lucky for me, I truly embrace warm weather. But if I know I’m going to be out when the sun is strongest, I take precautions to protect my skin from harmful exposure.
There are a few things I try to adhere to when I’m training through the summer months. If you’re an active body and outside most summer days, take heed of this post. These tips can be applied to any outdoors person or outdoor activity, not just runners and running.
Thank you to ZBlok for sponsoring this post and providing me with amazing sun protection. All opinions, reviews, and experiences are my own.
Sunglasses and Sunscreen: Sun Safety Tips for Summer Activities {ZBlok Sunscreen}
1. Wear sunblock.
Putting on a layer of sunblock is one of the easiest ways to protect yourself from the sun’s harmful rays while wearing minimal clothing and really enjoying being outside when it’s hot. But not all sunblock is created equal. Once upon a time, I had tons of samples of a popular children’s sunscreen. I used it on myself and ended up very burnt. I’m not sure if I had a bad batch or what happened, but it was very unfortunate. I was relieved my kids didn’t end up burnt or I would have been furious.
I’m the first to admit that finding a sunblock can be extremely daunting. I’ve since used a couple common “sports” brands but nothing I’m really in love with. A lot of trial and error has gone into my sunblock exploits — mostly error.
The most recent brand I’ve tried is called ZBlok — and I must say, it’s been life-changing. First, it doesn’t smell. You know that strong scent characteristic of sunblock, the pool, and summertime? It’s not there. Which is great for running because I frankly don’t want to smell like I’ve spent the day at the pool while I’m logging some serious mileage. No scent = huge win.
The other thing I love about it is that ZBlok rubs in clear — no white nose. The zinc oxide in Zblok is ground very fine so there’s no white, shiny reside. Not that I would mind looking like a lifeguard with a white nose, but I kind of prefer to not look like that. It’s sweat-resistant, too, which is super important for hot, summer activities.
2. Don’t forget about your lips!
Lucky for me, in addition to sunscreen lotions, an SPF lip balm is a featured product in the ZBlok lineup. I’ve been on the hunt for a good sunblock lip balm to carry with me when I’m out on a run. When I put ZBlok on my lips, I feel like they’re more protected compared with other lip balms I’ve tried. ZBlok lip balm is now a staple in my running pack. I don’t travel without it!
3. Cover it up.
Another obvious choice to protect yourself against the harmful rays of the sun is to cover up. Unfortunately this advice is also somewhat impractical, particularly when you’re running or being active in the heat. In this case, covering up completely can become quite uncomfortable quite fast. It is a good idea, though, to bring a long sleeve shirt or a bandana to cover up parts of your body for when the sun gets too strong.
4. Wear a hat or visor.
If you’re going to be in direct sunlight for several hours, wearing a hat or visor is a really easy way to shade your face to protect it from the sun’s harmful rays. Plus, hats and visors are multi-use tools! A hat or visor also doubles as a fly swatter or manual cooling device (otherwise known as a fan) — you know, just in case…
5. Protect your eyes.
Our eyes are just as susceptible to the sun’s rays as our skin. Don’t forget to protect them, too. Wear sunglasses to keep your eyes safe and choose polarized lenses to cut the glare from the sun to make driving, swimming, and playing sports more enjoyable.
6. Keep cool.
It is important that whilst you are at home and protecting yourself from the sun that you are also in a cool environment, where the only way to achieve this would be to ensure that your air conditioning system is working efficiently. If this is not the case then it would be important to get ac repair services to come and fix your system before the heat sets in, during the summer.
Protecting your skin from the sun is a really important, often overlooked, component to training. Cyclists, runners, SUP boarders, canoeists, kayakers — we all need sun protection. I encourage you to be proactive with your sun-blocking methods. Most importantly, put on a good pair of shades, rub in some ZBlok sunscreen, and get outdoors and enjoy your summer!
xo
TALK TO ME!
What’s your preferred method of sun safety?
Be honest — do you wear SPF lip balm?
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