A little bit of natural vitamin D, fresh air, and greenery offer many benefits. Spending time outside helps you rejuvenate and recenter. However, spending time outdoors also means dealing with the sun. Although a bit of sunshine is good for vitamin D and mental health, too much sun can turn a relaxing moment under blue skies into a less enjoyable experience with burns and dehydration risks. Explore how to enjoy the outdoors with minimal sun exposure so you can better protect yourself while enjoying your backyard.
Choose Your Outdoor Time Carefully
When planning for a time to enjoy some fresh air, make sure you consider the time of day you want to be outside. Compared to the sunlight in the early mornings, midday sunshine is a lot more potent as it is direct sunlight.
The sun slowly rises and falls from east to west throughout the day. We receive the most sunlight when the sun peaks in its daily arch and showers anything in sight with its rays. This direct sunlight leads to intense and maximum sun exposure. Avoid outdoor time while the sun’s at its highest point, instead opting for early morning or early evening when the heat and sunlight will be less intense.
Create a Shaded Outdoor Space
Is your preferred outdoor space an open patio or a yard speckled with trees? The latter might just help you stay sun safe, although a shaded cover on a patio will also allow you to enjoy the outdoors without the sun beating down on you. Shade coverage forms a barrier between you and UV rays, reducing harmful sun exposure.
Creating a shaded outdoor space in your backyard provides you with an effective way to step out of the sunshine while still enjoying time outside. Aluminum louver motorized pergolas are the latest need for any outdoor space design for multiple reasons, including the fact that they provide an open-shaded shelter from the sun. Along with pergolas, you can bring more shade to your outdoor space by planting trees with lots of foliage, installing umbrellas, or putting up a tarp across the trees.
Cover Up With Sun Protection
Along with overhead shade, wearable cover-ups also shield you from direct sunlight without hindering your time outside. Hats, long-sleeve shirts, and sunscreen help form a protective barrier that blocks UV rays from reaching your skin.
Wearing sunscreen is one of the many important steps to include in your daily skincare routine, and it is especially critical when heading outside for long periods of time. Covering up with various forms of sun protection mitigates your exposure to direct sunlight and reduces the risks of sunstroke, overheating, and burns.
Stay sun safe while spending quality time outside with these four simple tips for enjoying the outdoors with minimal sun exposure. Protecting yourself from too much sun will help you stay healthy, safe, and happy.
