How to apply sunscreen before outdoor exercise
Are you getting in shape for a Get Your Rear in Gear 5K? While outdoor training can improve your performance in a running event, exercising in the sun can also increase your risk of getting of skin cancer. A study published by the Skin Cancer Foundation found that distance runners are at a higher risk for melanoma, the deadliest form of the disease. Lead researcher Christina M. Ambros-Rudolph, MD was quoted in the article and explained why she believed that the runners in her study developed more skin lesions.
“The most obvious reason for their increased risk,” she noted, “was their excessive exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays. Many worsened the problem by neglecting sun protection. Almost all tended to wear shorts and short-sleeved or sleeveless shirts, leaving their legs, arms, and upper back sun-exposed. Only 56 percent regularly used sunscreen.”
Additional studies by researchers in Germany found that “sweating because of physical exercise may contribute to UV-related skin damage as it increases the individual photosensitivity of the skin, facilitating the risk of sunburns.”
To stay safe during your outdoor run, be sure to apply a sunscreen that protects against both UVA and UVB rays. The Mayo Clinic recommends using one full ounce (enough to fill a shotglass) to cover the body, and to reapply at least every two hours even if the weather is cloudy. The Skin Cancer Foundation offers additional tips for runners and marathon participants. Participants of shorter races, such as Get Your Rear in Gear 5K events can benefit from these tips as well.
Sun Protection Tips for Runners from the Skin Cancer Foundation
- Run during hours when the sun is less intense. Generally it is strongest between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. If you train during those hours, find shady places to run.
- Put sunscreen on before your running outfit, not at the race site. This will give it time to soak in, and keep you from applying it less thoroughly or forgetting it altogether because of pre-race excitement. Use an SPF 15 or higher sunscreen. Look for stick formulations, sport, or water-resistant versions.
- Run in a hat and UV-blocking sunglasses. Polarized lenses help beat the glare.
- Always keep sunscreen in your race bag.
- Have a friend posted somewhere in the second half of the race to hand you a small, one-use, wipe sunscreen (or keep a small packet in your pocket), so that you can reapply it to your face, neck and arms as you run. You can do that without really breaking stride. Sunscreen starts to lose effectiveness at about the two-hour mark, or even sooner if you are sweating heavily.
- Before post-race festivities begin, reapply sunscreen, and give yourself a quick massage in the process to help relax your sore muscles.
- Post-race clothes should include a lightweight but long-sleeve T-shirt and sweats. Darker colors offer ideal sun protection. Or opt for special sun-protective clothing.
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