Most of us feel more vibrant in the summertime, with warmer weather and longer, lighter evenings giving us a new lease of life and inspiring us to squeeze more out of each day. We tend to be more active, socialise more regularly, and generally spend a greater amount of time outdoors – and the season provides a welcome opportunity to boost your overall health and wellbeing, too.
Whilst you have the inspiration and motivation to do more, there are some simple ways you can implement to get the most you can out of the summer months, leaving you feeling refreshed, rejuvenated and ready for autumn when it eventually rolls around.
Here are five tips to boost your health this summer and beyond.
Stay hydrated
Drinking plenty of fluids each day is always important, as our bodies are made up of 80 per cent water and so need to be well hydrated to function efficiently. But this becomes even more important in the summer, when rising temperatures and scorching heat waves can leave you feeling parched. Dehydration can lead to fatigue, headaches and brain fog, as well as leaving you feeling generally lethargic and unable to complete simple daily tasks with ease – so fill up a large water bottle and keep it with you at all times, sipping throughout the day.
Once you’re dehydrated, it’s difficult to replenish fluids quickly and effectively and get back to feeling your best, as the body takes time to absorb and distribute the water you drink – so the key is not to let it happen in the first place. Adding refreshing foods like watermelon and cucumber to your diet is another great hack as these have a high water content and will also contribute to keeping you well hydrated and feeling vibrant and full of energy.
In addition to maintaining adequate hydration through regular water intake and invigorating foods, there are advanced treatments available for dehydration prevention. For example, therapies like immune IV therapy provide a targeted approach by delivering essential fluids and nutrients directly into the bloodstream, ensuring optimal hydration levels.
Choose the perfect pillow for quality sleep
Getting good quality sleep each night is essential to our overall health and wellbeing, with the experts recommending getting between eight and nine hours a night. If you find it difficult to drift off or often wake up with aches and pains in the morning, then there are some simple things you can do to make your time in bed more restful. Switch off all electronic devices at least an hour before you turn in for the night, as the blue light they emit can affect the body’s natural circadian rhythms and make it more difficult to drift off. And ensure that you have a comfortable, high-quality pillow that will support your neck and spine, maintaining optimal alignment throughout the night.
The key to choosing a pillow that’s right for you is often trial and error, so experiment with a variety of heights, materials and different levels of firmness to discover which one feels best to you. Side sleepers may benefit from a firmer pillow with extra support for the neck, while back sleepers may do better with a medium-firm pillow that maintains the natural curve of the spine.
Protect your skin
Perhaps one of the most obvious – and important – things you should be doing for your health in the summertime is ensuring you’re protecting your skin sufficiently from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays. Exposure to UV can cause sunburn, as well as triggering the premature signs of aging, such as fine lines and wrinkles, and you’re also putting yourself at greater risk of skin cancer – so be sure to apply a sun lotion with an SPF of at least 30 each day – on your face, and all over your body. If you’re travelling abroad to somewhere where the sun is even more intense then consider using sunblock instead, and wear a hat and sunglasses to protect your face.
Keep moving
Take advantage of the warm weather and longer daylight hours to ramp up your daily activity. Go out for a morning walk before the work day begins, enjoy an evening run or book yourself into some weekend gym classes – whatever it is that you enjoy the most. Regular exercise not only helps maintain a healthy weight but has also been shown to boost our overall energy levels and our mental health and wellbeing, too – so make the most of sunny days with activities you can’t do in the winter, or those that are less appealing at that time of year, like wild swimming, paddle boarding, cycling and hiking, aiming for at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise each week.
Eat fresh, local and seasonal
One of our favourite things about summertime is the abundance of seasonal fresh fruits and vegetables it brings with it, so take the opportunity to load up your breakfast, lunch and dinner plates with colourful produce to ensure you’re taking advantage of all of the vital nutrients they offer. ‘Eating the rainbow’ is a great way to go, so pile on the leafy greens, berries, tomatoes and bell peppers for a one-two punch of vitamins and antioxidants, and aim for at least five portions of fresh fruits and vegetables each day. Summer is also a great time to embrace lighter meals in general, so say goodbye to stodgy simple carbs and make more space for fresh fish and seafood, wholegrains, nuts, legumes, and salads to leave you feeling full of life and ready to take on each new day with panache.
