With gyms like Precision Athletica temporarily closed and the Government encouraging outdoor exercise, we realised that now is the time to shift some focus onto Sun Protection.
Our guess is that many more people than ever before are now going for walks, runs or hitting the back garden to follow exercise plans like our Free 14 Day Home Workout program.
With that in mind, what are the:
Athletes generally train 2 to 3 hours a day, training with little protection from long sleeved clothing, as such they are amongst the most susceptible of individuals to sun damage.
Excessive UV exposure occurs in sports such as: Golf, Running, Cycling, Triathlon, and other outdoor events or home workouts. The awareness regarding sun damage and protection overall seems to be good, however athletes sun protection practices are often poor.
Excessive sun exposure is the strongest risk factor for many dermatological malignancies, this includes: basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and malignant melanoma.
As well continuous outdoor sun exposure, athletes often feel the pressure to conform to the societal aesthetic trends. Many performing their matches and training in minimal clothing as it pushes confidence in their appearance. A ‘golden glow’ is often favoured to the pale complexion for the ‘athletic look’
1) Always use sun protection when outdoors between the hours of 11am – 3pm
2) Know your skin – type 1 skin is much more likely to burn than type 6, with “sunburn” increasing the risk of sun damage and subsequently skin cancer
3) Know your burn time
4) ALWAYS wear a hat and long sleeved clothes / SParms sun sleeves if you are in sports
5) Take extra care when exercising near water or snow as the reflection can cause faster burns
6) Know your moles; monitor them with regular check-ups
7) Know your family history; malignant melanoma has a strong genetic component
Precision Athletica recently partnered with sun protection clothing specialists SParms, and after discussing our concerns with them about more of our athletes training outdoors, SParms have kindly offered to provide us with a 15% discount code!
Using the code “ATH15” you can now get this discount on any first time order through the SParms website. The Precision Athletica team all wear these products and we only recommend them as we personally believe in the quality and benefits that they provide (they look awesome too).
Stay safe.