Getting Sun Protection During A Run

by Valerie Gladstone — August 31, 2007

In past blogs, I’ve talked about the importance of using sunscreen and how to use it properly. But I’ve never dealt with the special needs of runners and anyone else who exercises outside. And remember, even though summer is hardest on the skin in most parts of the world, the sun still shines and causes damage in every other season.

Tips:

• If possible, wake up early and try to get your workout over before the sun is high. Or else, run after the sun has set.
• Look for a spray-on, sweat-resistant sunscreen, such as Coppertone Sport ($9 at drugstores) or Kinesys ($15 at bike shops, golf clubs, and at www.kinesys.com), with a high SPF. Make sure the formula doesn’t contain alcohol because it trickles down and stings your eyes. The higher the SPF, the less frequently you have to reapply. If you don’t have fair skin, you should be able to spray on SPF 60, jog for about an hour, and be fine. If you do jog longer, you might need to limit your exposure or bring sunscreen with you.
• Daub sunscreen along your part or pull your hair straight back so there is no part. If you wear a ponytail, you need sunscreen on the tops and backs of your ears.
  Wear sunblock under your t-shirt. T-shirts offer an SPF of about 7. When the t-shirt is wet, it looses some of its SPF.
• Wear t-shirts that have built-in sun protection. You can purchase them from an athletic store or running specialty store. Sun-protective fabrics typically have a tight weave or knit and are usually darker in color. Sun-protective clothes have a label listing the garment’s Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) value. UPF is the level of protection the garment provides from the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays. The higher the UPF, the higher the protection from the sun’s UV rays.
• Wash your clothes once a month in Sunguard. Sunguard is a colorless dye that gives your clothes a SPF of greater than 30.