The Health Benefits Of Sunlight
We’ve all been spending significantly less time outdoors due to the pandemic and working from home.
This means that many of us are missing out on the many health benefits of sunlight that we’d normally obtain from being outside, whether it be commuting to work, exercising or socialising with friends and family.
Adequate vitamin D is essential for maintaining strong, healthy bones and strengthening the immune system. Around 90% of our daily requirement is obtained when our bodies convert cholesterol into vitamin D when our skin is exposed to direct sunlight (not through glass), while the remaining 10% coming from our diet.
What Are The Symptoms Of Vitamin D Deficiency?
Vitamin D plays an important role in many of our bodily functions. Deficiency due to prolonged lack of exposure to sunlight has been linked to a number of conditions and symptoms, including:
Fatigue and tiredness
Reduced immunity, leading to frequent and/or prolonged illness
Osteoporosis, leading to increased incidence of fractures
Obesity and associated metabolic disorders
Hair loss
Chronic pain
Mental health issues
During what has seemed to be a never ending lock down, many of us have experienced weight gain, fatigue and loss of motivation while the incidence of mental health issues in our communities has risen to unprecedented levels. While vitamin D deficiency isn’t the only contributing factor, medical experts agree that regular daily exposure to sunlight is an essential ingredient for our physical and mental health and general wellbeing, particularly during lockdown.
Tips For Getting Your Daily Dose
Our sunny Australian climate means we don’t normally need to go out of our way to get enough Vitamin D, however these are not normal times.
Luckily, it’s easy to get your daily dose while working from home by making some simple changes to your diet and your work habits:
Spend 15 - 20 mins outside in the sun each day.
Combine outdoor time with exercise to kill two birds with one stone.
Set up your workspace in an area of your home with plenty of natural light. You won’t get much exposure to the sun but every little bit counts.
Take your work outside to a cafe or park
Consume foods that are rich in vitamin D such as mushrooms, tofu, salmon, cod oil
Try a vitamin D supplement, but check with your GP or nutritionist first.
If you’re worried about the risk of skin cancer, spread your time in the sun over the day and expose the larger areas of your skin to direct sunlight for maximum benefit in the shortest time. Avoiding the midday sun and catching some rays in the morning or late afternoon is also a safer option.
