Are you looking for an easy way to uplift your spirits and your health? One that doesn’t require a lot of hard work or a big time commitment? How about a free therapy that can help with weight loss and even some diseases? Look no further than your own backyard or the nearest park!
Before changing anything in your health routine, it’s important to check in with your personal physician. Your medical history and genetics can be crucial factors in determining what would work best for you.
There are a number of studies that show a relationship between sunlight and weight loss.
- In 2020, scientists in Cincinnati conducted experiments on the effects of sunlight on mice. “The study shows that light exposure regulates how two kinds of fat cells work together to produce the raw materials that all other cells use for energy. The study authors go on to say that disruptions to this fundamental metabolic process appear to reflect an unhealthy aspect of modern life–spending too much time indoors” (1).
- A 2017 study in Edmonton, Canada found that “When the sun’s blue light wavelengths — the light we can see with our eye — penetrate our skin and reach the fat cells just beneath, lipid droplets reduce in size and are released out of the cell. In other words, our cells don’t store as much fat” (2).
- At Northwestern University, a study found an association between early morning sunlight exposure and lower body mass index (BMI). “ ‘Light is the most potent agent to synchronize your internal body clock that regulates circadian rhythms, which in turn also regulate energy balance,’ said study senior author Phyllis C. Zee, M.D. ‘The message is that you should get more bright light between 8 a.m. and noon.’ About 20 to 30 minutes of morning light is enough to affect BMI” (3).
- A 2016 study found that sun exposure could prevent obesity and metabolic syndrome in animal subjects. The scientists maintained that further study would be needed to determine the safety of increased sun exposure (we must take skin cancer risks into consideration) (4).
All of these positive effects are in addition to the any other psychological and medical improvements which also may affect weight. For example, deficiencies in vitamin D (AKA the sunshine vitamin) are common and affect many body processes. These include bone and joint pain as well as muscle weakness which certainly are important to our fitness. In fact, 35% of Americans have a vitamin D deficiency (5)!
Sunlight is known to help with many other conditions. Some examples are: depression, colon cancer, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer, psoriasis, eczema, jaundice, and acne (6).
So it seems clear that some morning sun exposure can be yet another tool to use in maintaining our healthy weight – given that we are cautious to avoid overexposure and skin cancer risk.
Taking into consideration both science and safety, let’s look at a partial list of Kiki Ely’s suggestions in The Complete Guide to Self Care: Best Practices for a Healthier and Happier You (7):
- Plan to get up about 15-20 minutes earlier than normal by setting an earlier alarm. The author suggests doing this for 5 days in a row.
- Head outside early – just after the sun is rising if possible. It may take a bit of routine juggling to coordinate this.
- Relax and enjoy those early morning sun rays. Concentrate on the positive light and energy that surrounds you.
- Though Ms. Ely suggests doing this seated and relaxed, I find that I enjoy doing this walking. It increases my energy plus it burns a few extra calories!
Do you try to get an early start to catch those morning rays? The early morning sun is as beautiful as it is healthy. Enjoy free therapy when your weather permits!
(1). https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/748003
(2). https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320592
(3). https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2014/04/morning-rays-keep-off-the-pounds
(4). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5086738/
(5). https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15050-vitamin-d-vitamin-d-deficiency
(6). https://www.healthline.com/health/depression/benefits-sunlight#benefits
(7). The Complete Guide to Self Care by Kiki Ely (c) 2020.
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