It’s summer at last! For many of us this means day trips:  beach days, picnics, festivals, sports events, hiking, enjoying the great outdoors.  It can also mean vacations:  camping, cottages, overnight visits, road trips, and making the most of the warm weather.  Nobody wants aches, stiffness, or mishaps to ruin their summer fun.  And although a lot of us are more active in summer, the summer also brings nutrition traps in the form of belly-busting BBQs and monster ice cream cones.  To make sure you stay healthy and happy this summer, we’d like to share our pointers for summer fun.

Pointers for summer fun

Don’t go swimming alone. Even if you are a strong swimmer, muscles can cramp and accidents can happen without warning.  You won’t be able to reach your cell phone from the water.  No one will be able to help you if they don’t know where you are.

If you are swimming, boating, canoeing or otherwise out on the water, save your alcoholic beverages for the evening—or skip them entirely. A boat is a vehicle, just like a car, and should not be operated when you’ve been drinking.  The same goes for bicycles, canoes, ATVs, kayaks…  When you’re swimming, you’ll need your best judgment to make safe choices about how long you can swim, how far away from shore you can go, and when you need help.

Wear proper footwear for your activity. Your high heel wedge sandals may look great but your feet, legs and back will ache if you try to hike in them.

Wear sunscreen and reapply it regularly. Sunscreen wears off over time, so you may need to reapply at regular intervals if you’re spending the whole day outdoors.  It will wear off faster if you’ve been in the water.  For best results, put sunscreen on half an hour before you go outside.  Wear a hat to keep excess sun off your face.  Wear sunglasses certified to block 99% of UV rays.

Summer cookouts are a great time for food, food and more food. Make your choices wisely!  Instead of stuffing down four hot dogs and a side of chips, take one (or better yet, a grilled chicken breast or veggie dog) and fill the rest of your plate with raw veggies (maybe hummus or other light dip), leafy green salad, or fresh fruit.  Let it sit for a while and then decide if you’re hungry enough to go back for a second.

We’re never going to say no to ice cream, but consider a single scoop instead of the triple decker monster cone. Everything in moderation!

Are aches and stiffness spoiling your summer fun?

If stiffness and aches are holding you back from enjoying your summer—or if you played a little too hard and are now nursing a sore back, throbbing feet, a sprain, or a general feeling of soreness—give Sheppard Chiropractic Centre a call at (506) 635-8182 or (506) 847-7172. We are open to serve you this summer!