Be The Best.

Be The Beast.

 

 

July 2012 has started off with a bang! First, the Euro 2012 Soccer Championships concluded yesterday with Spain rolling past Italy 4-0 in Ukraine. Spain has holds three major championship titles as they are now the two-time reigning European Cup champions and the 2010 World Cup champions.

It was a wonderful three weeks of some amazing soccer (football).

Congrats to both Spain and Italy for making it to the finals.

Secondly, according to the healthfinder.gov website, July is National UV Safety Month (http://healthfinder.gov/nho/JulToolkit.aspx#resources). Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is the main cause of skin cancer so it is imperative that you protect yourself before training (or anything else) outside. Remember that even the best sunscreen is useless if you don’t put it on. Make sure to apply your sport sunscreen at least 30 minutes before going outside to play. And, apply it even on cloudy days. As much as 80 percent of the sun’s ultraviolet radiation can sneak through the clouds, even on the most overcast days [source: American Academy of Dermatology].

Most sunscreens with an SPF of 15 or higher do an excellent job of protecting against UVB (one of the UV sun rays). SPF — the wonderful Sun Protection Factor — is a measure of a sunscreen’s ability to prevent UVB from damaging the skin. Here’s how it works: If it takes 20 minutes for your unprotected skin to start turning red, using an SPF 15 sunscreen theoretically prevents reddening 15 times longer — about five hours (http://www.skincancer.org/prevention/uva-and-uvb/shining-light-on-ultraviolet-radiation).

UV rays can also damage your eyes so if your exercise permits it, grab your favorite pair of sunglasses. Here is the medical side to why you should wear sunglasses http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/uv-protection/AN00832 and here is how to buy the right sunglasses http://www.rei.com/expertadvice/articles/sunglasses.html (Currently, I’m rocking my Oakley Twenties!).

To reward yourself for staying true to your exercise routine, don’t forget that July is National Ice Cream Month!! The International Ice Cream Association (yes, it really exists) wants to remind consumers to celebrate the flavorful dairy month with a Rocky Road, a Chocolate-Vanilla Swirl or a Mint Chocolate Chip (my personal favorite) and not to forget that  July 15th is National Ice Cream Day! (http://www.idfa.org/news–views/media-kits/ice-cream/july-is-national-ice-cream-mon/)

Have fun exercising and eating this month! If it gets too hot, give us a call at 862-701-5505 to train indoors. And maybe we’ll see about getting some ice cream!

 

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