Day Fifteen - Movement
Today's challenge is to get outside and embrace the sunshine. Exposure to natural daylight helps to regulate mood, re-sets our internal clocks as well as boosting our immune system.
There has never been a more critical time to focus on boosting our immune system, and Vitamin D, known as the sunshine vitamin, is associated with bone density as well as a more robust immune system. We currently spend up to 90% of our time indoors, and although we can get some of our vitamin D by consuming fatty fish, fortified milk products or eggs, we also create this when you expose skin to sunlight.
Exposure to sunshine is critical for re-setting our body clock, which in turn regulates sleep and waking cycles. Ideally, target 30-40 minutes of daylight time but remember to leave your sunglasses at home in the morning to maximise light to the retina, conversely in the afternoon, use sunglasses on the walk to limit light which is like turning the lights down in your house at night to help you sleep.
Lastly, if you need more evidence, an Australian study1 'Sunshine, Serotonin, and Skin: A Partial Explanation for Seasonal Patterns in Psychopathology?' highlights the link between sunlight and serotonin. Higher levels of serotonin are associate with better mood, feelings of satisfaction, and calmness, which should be on everyone's wish list to help build your ideal day.
So, stop reading and get outside and enjoy the sunshine.
References
Sunshine, Serotonin, and Skin ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Further reading
Read - Sunshine is good for you time.com
Read - Sunshine substitutes foods-high-in-vitamin-d
Read – TED Ideas SAD-seasonal-affective-disorder-is-not-just-the-winter-blues
** Disclaimer – Part of the Build Your Ideal Day Program – 30 Day challenge by Duncan Young. All content and media on the Build Your Ideal Day Website is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice and should not be relied on as health or personal advice.
