Prevent premature aging with proper skincare

There's a lot to be said for outdoor exercise.  Running, cycling, swimming, hiking, and tennis are all wonderful activities for keeping 95% of your body in top condition.  But what about the other 5% of your skin?

While it's true that vigorous exercise gives your skin an initial warm glow due to increased blood flow, that glow soon wears off, and it's replaced by the rude reality of dry, sun-damaged skin.

Exercise and outdoor activity tends to make you look younger, but failure to properly protect your skin can counteract that tendency and leave you looking like a dried-up prune.

The problem is the sun's UV rays. They aren't as strong during winter, so you can usually get away with not using sunscreen for short winter walks.  But in April, as the earth rotates closer to the sun, we receive more UV.

Try to avoid outdoor activity between 10am and 4pm in the summer—that's when the UV rays are strongest and most damaging according to the Mayo Clinic.

To make matters worse, as you age, your oil-producing (sebaceous) glands grow less active, which leaves your skin drier. Additionally, with the threat of avian flu hanging over our heads, people are becoming more diligent about washing their hands…and as a result, the backs of their hands become very dry.

Gerry Morton, CEO of EnergyFirst, has these tips for fighting UV sun damage and dryness of your skin:

1. Apply SPF 15 or greater sunscreen at least 30 minutes before outdoor activity.
2. If your outdoor activity involves swimming, paddling, or anything else on or in water, make sure your sunscreen is waterproof.
3. Reapply sunscreen every few hours, even if it says it's waterproof.
4. Use SPF 15 or greater lip screen on your lips—get the kind that comes in a tube like chapstick.
5. Wear a mesh or otherwise ventilated hat (EnergyFirst has a great one!) and light-colored, loose clothing.
6. Immediately after you come inside, moisturize your skin with a high-emollient moisturizer.
7. When you shower or bathe, use a very mild soap. After you finish and dry off, moisturize your face and skin.
8. If you swim in a chlorinated pool, rinse off immediately after getting out. Don't shampoo your hair—instead, just rinse with water, then let it dry.
9. If your hair becomes brittle from swimming in chlorinated water, rinse it under warm water then massage a small handful of oil into it when wet and wrap a towel around your head. Leave it for 5 minutes, then comb through. This is a natural hot oil treatment.
10. If you get sunburned, immediately moisturize the affected area with aloe vera. The best kind is the cut-apart leaf from an aloe plant, second-best is store-bought gel.

And of course, you should increase your intake of water during the summer. Drinking an adequate amount of water hydrates your skin so that it stays smooth and healthy.