Week 11: Sleep and Sunscreen - Walk to the Beach Fitness Challenge

Week 11 Sleep & Sunscreen: Walk to the Beach Fitness Challenge

We have now reached the 2/3 mark with only five weeks remaining on Woodleaf UMC's Walk to the Beach Fitness Challenge. 

Healthy Spirit: Benefits of Sleep

Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping.  Matthew 8:24

Few passages in the Bible mention Jesus sleeping, but in this passage he was sleeping in a boat that was being tossed by a storm that frightened even seasoned fishermen. When we rest, we are then better able to face life's challenges and perhaps even calm some of the storms in our own lives. If our schedules are too busy for adequate rest, we do well to reexamine our priorities and determine what can be cut or delegated to others.

Sleep. It's that part of the schedule that we may be tempted to decrease in order to check off items on the "to do" list. Yet numerous studies indicate that adequate, quality sleep is vital to our overall physical, mental, and emotional health. One large study that looked at over 100,000 people for more than 20 years found that people who averaged less than six or more than eight hours of sleep per night tended to gain more weight. Sleep has been shown to help lessen pain, decrease risk of injury, improve thinking and memory, and boost immunity. Find specific tips to help with sleep at the National Sleep Foundation web site.

Healthy Mind: Pembroke

Pembroke, a town in Robeson County with about 3,000 people, is our next stop on the way to the beach. This city is the tribal seat of the Lumbee Indian tribe of North Carolina with nearly 90% of the city's population listing as Native American. Artifacts discovered near the Lumber River indicate this area was quite active after along a trade route connecting various areas in the Southeastern United States. Previous names for Pembroke include Shuffletown and The Settlement.

UNC Pembroke, located within the town, offers a diverse population on campus and is part of the University of North Carolina System. A U.S. News and World Report claims that UNC Pembroke is the safest campus among the UNC schools.

Henry Berry Lowrie gained much recognition among the Lumbee tribe for his leadership role of the Lowry Gang during the Civil War. Several sports figures are from Pembroke, including Nate Andrews, National League All-Star; Chris Chavis, WWE wrestler known as "Tatanka" or "The War Eagle;" and Kelvin Sampson, NBA assistant coach.

Healthy Body: Sunscreen Safety

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, estimates indicate that 20%, or one in five, people will develop skin cancer. The sun's ultraviolet radiation, sun lamps, and tanning beds can cause cancer. Sunscreen provides protection from the sun's rays. For best protection, sunscreen should be:

1. broad spectrum (protection from UVA & UVB rays)
2. SPF 30 or higher (blocks 97% of the sun's rays)
3. water resistant (up to 40 minutes in the water) or very water resistant (up to 80 minutes in the water)

Additional tips for protecting your skin outside include:

• Stay in the shade when possible.
• Avoid being in the sun when the sun's rays are stronger between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
• Wear protective clothing such as a wide brimmed hat, sunglasses, pants, and a long-sleeved shirt.
• Be particularly careful around water, sand, and snow because they reflect the sun's rays and can increase the chance for sunburn.
• Throw out any sunscreen that is past the expiration date. If the bottle does not have an expiration date, discard it if the sunscreen looks different or if it is three years past the date of purchase.
• Apply sunscreen 15 minutes before going outside.
• Generously apply sunscreen to exposed skin when going outside every day, even on cloudy days and in all seasons.
• Use lipstick or lip balm containing SPF 30 or higher.
• Reapply sunscreen every two hours while outside and after swimming or sweating - no sunscreen is waterproof. Products with SPF protection higher than 30 still need to be reapplied in the same manner.
• The FDA is studying spray sunscreen due to the potential for the product to be inhaled when sprayed.
• Sunscreen combined with insect repellent is not recommended because sunscreen should be reapplied every two hours while insect repellent should be reapplied less frequently.
• Avoid exposing babies younger than 6 months to the sun's rays.

For more information, visit the free resources page and sunscreen FAQ page on the American Academy of Dermatology web site.