Life is often about balance because, as they say, even too much of a good thing can be bad for you, equally to little is bad also.

In the last decade, particularly with the ozone issues we have become hyper aware of the effects of the sun and it’s relation to skin cancer. The effect has been that the majority of people now cover up well and use high factor sunscreen whenever out in the sun. All this is wise, you should never put your health at risk for the sake of taking some easy steps to avoid an issue. However, there is an increasing issue on the flip side to this, as recently explained to me by a doctor.

We are now so conscious of the sun that we are actually not getting enough exposure to sunlight to generate the levels of vitamin D that we need for our bodies to fun action well. Vitamin D is a in pique vitamin that works in a similar way to a protein with every cell in our body having a receptor for it. Winter is obviously a hard time to sustain your levels, but even in summer now Doctors are seeing people with levels of vitaminD below the levels they should be.

Though you can get Vitamin D from some food sources, by far the biggest source is sunshine reacting with the skin and producing it from your bodies cholesterol. The rule of thumb I was given, was to sit in the sunshine for half an hour a day in shorts and a t’shirt, as this will expose enough skin to produce the Vitamin D you need. After that you can cover up and use sunscreen. Be sensible and consider the strength of the sun on any given day.

In the winter you can help maintain levels with a vitamin D supliment, and I know, it’s tempting to stay in the warm on a winters day, but when the sun is out get outside and soak some up, it’ll help you through those short winter days.

To read more on how low Vitamin D can affect you check out this useful article. 

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vitamin-d-deficiency-symptoms

My personal experience:

For a number of years I have been back and forth to the doctors suffering with bouts of fatigue, periods of dizziness and back problems. I’ve been sent for MRI’s, X-rays and blood tests, but nothing was found. It wasn’t until I recently changed doctors and they had some test run and told me my Vitamin D was a a dangerously low level. Quite why the previous doctors hadn’t picked up on it I don’t know. He prescribed a vitamin D supplement and gave me advice on how to raise my levels naturally. Within a week I had noticed an improvement, within a month the change was remarkable. Now I am aware, I know how to manage it, like many I had spent years shunning the sun, now I spend some of each day embracing it.

IT Games Club is supported by a growing number of global IT companies, and aims to bring sport and fitness to the forefront of the IT industry. Challenging and motivating the industry to get fitter and healthier. If you are a senior IT professional who would like motivation and free entry into events around the world, then join up today, membership is free (and always will be). As we grow we will be opening up membership to a wider audience in the industry and across more sports and pastimes. www.itgames.club