5 Ways to Optimize Your Health in July

We’re back with more health tips on how to optimize your wellbeing this month. For July, our team is thinking about peak summer: sunny days that start early and go long. Here are some ways to stay healthy and feeling your best for all of it.

Tip 1: Body
Unlock the Benefits of UV Protection

As the weather gets warmer and the sun gets more intense, our physician Dr. Dana Ben Dov is thinking a lot about the risks of UV exposure and ways that people can reduce it. Fitting, because July is UV awareness month.

So what do you need to know? First, that skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States, and UV rays can damage skin cells and increase the risk for getting it.

Fortunately there are there are easy and reliable ways to reduce your risk. For the next few months, focus on seeking shade during peak sun hours, and wearing protective clothing when possible. Most of all, always wear sunscreen. Not only can it help to improve your odds, but it’s one of those health tips that can keep your skin looking smoother and younger.

Tip 2: Nutrition
Start the Day With 20–30g of Protein

In the summer, the longer days and hectic schedules can often disrupt our eating routines with skipped meals and irregular meal times. Of all the health tips to beat this, our favorite is to beat this, it’s important to start summer days with a nourishing, protein-rich meal that can sustain you in spite of the inevitable deviation from plans.

Protein plays a crucial role in making us feel full—it is one of the strongest stimulators of the hormones that make us feel full. Not only that but, because of how it’s digested, it can help to support a balanced blood sugar and maintain our energy levels throughout the day. It can even help to preserve muscle in those times when you might skip a meal or not eat enough.

Tip 3: Mind
Create a Routine for Performance

Speaking of being off a schedule, our Doctor of Psychology Paul Smiley recommends taking a look at your morning routine in the summer when routines are already a little in flux. By taking a little time to create new habits first thing in the morning, you can improve the entirety of your day.

When we rush around in the morning or barely make it out the door, we can feel our stress hormones rising and it has a cascade effect on all the hours that follow. This is because our brains subconsciously reserve resources for tasks that require higher-level thinking. When we start the day with stress, we’re actually effectively eating up our mental resources.

But by creating an optimized routine you follow automatically—getting up at the same time every day (without hitting snooze), making the bed for a boost of dopamine, hydrating and eating a good breakfast, and taking a moment for mindfulness—you use fewer cognitive resources, and actually free up mental energy for those tasks that require more focus later in your day.

Tip 4: Movement
Make Exercise a Social Event

There are some seasons when exercise can feel tougher to get into (we’re thinking about those dark winter mornings), but fortunately summer is not one of them. In fact, it’s the perfect time to shake up your typical approach with the unique benefits the season brings.

The key is to take advantage of two things: the ability to exercise outdoors in the sun, and the more social side of movement. Summer is an ideal time to explore a new sport or activity that combines movement, fresh air, and community, whether it’s cycling, playing pickleball, outdoor yoga, or gardening.

Not only can this help you to make exercise more fun and pack in more mental health benefits, but it’s also a way to make sure you stay moving as your summer schedule fills up. It may be tempting to let an hour at the gym fall off when social activities increase, but with sports and activities like these, you can still keep your social calendar and get your heart rate up at the same time. 

Tip 5: Fitness
Don’t Forget to Train Your Mind

Not all health tips are about the physical side of things. While you’re out there training your body in new ways this summer, don’t forget that it’s equally important to maintain your mental health: especially if you’re experiencing stress. After all, our minds and bodies work together best when trained together.

To help you do that, our physical therapist, David Rivera has a simple technique you can use to train your mind this summer: a breathing exercise you can do anywhere. Simply inhale slowly for 10 seconds using your diagram—the muscle underneath your rib cage—and then exhale slowly for 10 seconds. Repeat this process for several minutes, and use the time to reset your mind with light meditation.

Practice this exercise a few minutes each day, every day this month, and check in to see what kind of benefits you’re feeling for your mind—and body. By the end of the month, using this tool will be like second nature, and you’ll be ready to take on anything summer throws at you. 

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