Summer is Here! It's Dangerous.

  Summer is here or coming for many people.  Its the time when we want to be outside more, gardening, running, biking, cooking, swimming, boating, and so many more activities.  Unfortunately, its also the time when we plunge into activities without preparing.

I love to walk.  I took a nice long walk with a companion.  I think the distance from the park to the gas station and back is around 3.5 to 4 miles.  She did well but the next day she was extremely sore.  She wasn't used to doing the longer walks that I specialize in.

I know at the beginning of every summer, I have to dig out my hats, sun glasses, sun screen, water bottles and other gear.  Hats are a great way to protect your skin while sun glasses are recommended to protect your eyes against the possibility of cataracts forming earlier in life than normal.  I know, I know, when you hear the word cataracts, you automatically think you have to be really old, like over 70 to get them.  That is not true.

According to something I looked up, over 22 million Americans aged 40 and over suffer from cataracts.  I know someone who was under 60 at the time cataracts struck her eyes.  She needed surgery to replace the lenses so she could see clearly.  She was told to always wear good sunglasses when outside. 

Of course, we need sunscreen because most of us forget about the sun being more intense in the summer bringing with it an increased chance of sunburn. It is so easy to loose track of time and be over exposed to the sun or you are out on a lake or ocean while enjoying the breeze but at the end of the day, you've got a bad sunburn. Sun screen, sun screen, more sun screen. Reapply it religiously and avoid damage to your skin.  I've gotten sunburned because I forget about the difference in strength in the sun between northern Alaska and Hawaii.  I'm heading there in a few days and I have my heavy duty sunscreen to pack for protection.

Then there is the problem of not drinking enough fluids daily to replace the fluids sweated out when outside gardening or playing sports.  It is so easy to become dehydrated.  One quick tip to know if you are needing more liquid is simply thirst.  If you are thirsty, you need water.  If you ignore that and you notice your urine is becoming a brighter yellow, inhale liquids.  You do not want to become so depleted you end up in the hospital.

As mentioned earlier, don't forget to take it easy when you begin doing more during the summer. Sore muscles are a common problem because you go from not doing as much to going all out.  Many of us, due to where we live, are inside a lot more during the winter but once all the snow and ice melts, we are out and about with no thought to the fact we have muscles that need warming up.

If you make sure you protect yourself from the sun,  have plenty of liquids, do not over exercise or do outdoor activities, you should be fine. Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.