| Walk With the Doc Science Is Catching Up With Common Sense This week, I’ll offer a new reason to give regular exercise priority in your busy day. According to a new consensus statement published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine physical activity promotes improved mental performance. A group of 24 researchers from the United States, Canada and Europe confirmed what many had long suspected. After poring over the latest scientific and medical research the experts concluded that exercise and fitness are beneficial to brain structure, brain function and cognition. And if you’re worried about losing precious minutes to exercise, you can relax. Time taken for exercise improves our performance in other areas. This can mean better performance in other activities. For students this can mean better scholastic performance. Nancy Neighbors, MD Huntsville, Alabama The Best Skin Care Tip The best skin care tip is to make sun protection part of your daily routine. For example, if you plan to take an afternoon walk or do yard work, keep your hat and sunscreen where you will see them as you head outdoors. Just make it part of your day in the sun ritual. While we can’t live without the sun, the flip side is that too much sun can be our skin’s worst friend. If you're fair skinned, 10 minutes in the midday sun in shorts and a tank top with no sunscreen will give you about 10,000 international units of vitamin D. For darker skin, it takes a little longer. After 10 minutes, the direct sun provides little additional benefit and plenty of skin damaging rays that can suppresses your immune system, making it easier for skin cancer to grow. There’s also the issue of free radicals activating enzymes that break down collagen and elastin, the skin ingredients that keep your face taut and supple. The cumulative effect of excessive sun is prematurely aging skin with lines that don’t necessarily suggest wisdom. When we can’t avoid being in direct sun for an extended period of time, a wide brimmed hat can be the solution. At times, the most practical solution will be sunscreen lotions. Unfortunately remembering to protect ourselves is easy to forget. For many, improper application of sunscreen lotions significantly reduces their value. What is SPF SunScreen? SPF, or Sun Protection Factor, is a measure of how well a sunscreen will protect skin from the type of sun radiation called UVB rays. Unfortunately the sun produces other types of skin damaging radiation. What’s Wrong With High SPF? - Ideally applying sunscreen with a sun protection factor, SPF, of 50 would allow you to be in the sun 50 times longer before suffering sunburn. Unfortunately, few follow the instructions for properly applying sunscreen lotions. Need information about sunscreens? Consumer Reports is a good resource. Their unbiased guides can help you choose the best sunscreen for your needs. Did you miss WNTV’s recent news about ‘Walk With The Doc? Click here to view video. |