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Why Going Outside is Important?

Why Going Outside is Important?

out doors, outdoor gear, stay salty, earn your salt, watermen clothing, original watermenFor those in cooler climates the summer is their chance to go outside without having to bundle up in a few layers. Even so, we meet people from time to time (from both cold and warm climates) that seclude themselves indoors for a majority of their free time. We get it.. After a long week of work dealing with tourists or deadlines, or other stresses and possibly a lack of sleep (especially in the recent heat!) the easy thing to do is to melt into the count to indefinitely watch Netflix. But if you can resist that temptation and find some rejuvenation outdoors, you’ll be better off for it!

Being outside is important to mental and physical health because natural light reduces stress and can actually boost your mood nearly immediately; and in addition to more exercise there are physical benefits from the sun including reduced inflammation, improved immune system and easier to sleep. It has even been said that going outdoors will make you more creative as well as a sharper thinker.

The benefits of being outside are vast, so we delve into some of the bigger ones below as well as some extra ideas and tips.

Mental Benefits and Physical Benefits

Beyond exercise

The physical benefits besides getting more exercise are much more prevalent than someone might think. Getting the right amount of vitamin D from the sun can be tough when working all day inside an office, so literally going on a walk during lunch and break times will physically benefit you.

Being outside can also reduce inflammation in many people. A study was conducted that those living around forests and other natural areas suffered much less inflammation than their city dwelling counterparts. The University of Wisconsin found that that living in areas with less than a 10 percent tree cover were found to have more instances of depression and anxiety than those who lived with more trees around. The interesting part of this is that race, income, or education played no part in this at all as the results were consistent throughout all factors.

How does being outside reduce stress?

Natural light reduces stress and boosts your mood. Restoring mental energy by doing something active simply like taking a long walk can rejuvenate a person by when they return to the office after lunch. Additionally, exercises for breathing deeply and centering your mind can help produce endorphins which have a myriad of health benefits.

 

Of course, physical activity also does this and has been proven to increase productivity and moods. Triggering the release of these endorphins can be done daily and it can certainly help your career and your daily life. It will help stimulate effective work relationships and even has been shown to help increase productive collaboration in the office.

Some Fun Ideas and Safety Tips

One of the most relaxing things that can be done outside is going to the beach. If you’re not near the ocean like us, many lakes, rivers and lagoons have beaches, too!! A beach is always full of different activities to suit your personal liking, and even something as simple as walking along the shore can be the workout you need for the day. Paddle boarding, body surfing and swimming are all great ways to have a blast outside while also exercising. Get some fins for body surfing the waves or swimming to a buoy with more leg power.

As the season winds down and shifts to fall, you should consider one of our high quality rashguards as they help keep in body heat as well as protect skin from getting irritated. Not to mention, these rash guards can also help with the few bumps and bruises along the way that come with body surfing.

Taking a short walk and just sitting in nature is a great way to unwind from a stressful day or week. Hydration also affects your mood so don’t forget to bring a water bottle. And we always advise wearing one of our snapback hats and some shades to shield your eyes and stay comfortable.

Keep Switching It Up

The spice of life truly is variety and even some of your favorite activities can start to seem mundane if done the same way for a while. The easiest way to keep yourself prepared for a random outing and adventure is to keep at least some basic athletic, water sports apparel and gear in your vehicle. This could include quick-drying hiking gear of some kind or even some stylish and comfortable retro shorts and sandals, and perhaps a volleyball, frisbee or some other kind of sports gear.

There are groups of people online who want to stay active and try new things, and encourage others to do the same. Join one of these groups to try something that you would have never before thought of attempting.

Start making going outside a part of your daily or weekly life and it will easily become a habit in just a matter of weeks. Be proactive about trying to live a more active lifestyle! That’s the start of something amazing for both your body and mind.

Retro Boardshorts, out doors, outdoor gear, stay salty, earn your salt, watermen clothing, original watermen

Must Haves for Beach Safety? A Lifeguard Speaks About the Essentials You Need

Must Haves for Beach Safety? A Lifeguard Speaks About the Essentials You Need

lifeguard gear, Original Watermen, beach safty, Original Watermen Gear, stay salty, earn your salt

Here is a list of beach and safety essentials put together by a professional lifeguard.  To date, most of the “What to take to the beach?” lists say the same thing, that is why our lifeguards have come up with a comprehensive list we guarantee, you never thought of. And for your convenience, everything is easily found within our lifeguard store.

 

Prepare for Everything

1)       Sting Rays

Every family needs to carry a Stingray Kit with them to the beach, which can be purchases at our lifeguard store. Lifeguards report hundreds of stingray stings all along the coast, thus are warning swimmers to beware of the stingrays when entering the water. Though sting rays are not aggressive, beachgoers are stung by accident more often than you can imagine. Stingray stings are one of the most common dive and beach-related injuries.  And if you have ever experienced the sting, you know it needs to be taken care of immediately. The excruciating pain if left unattended will put down even the toughest individual for 6-8 hours.

What should you expect if stung?

The person feels an immediate, sharp, excruciating pain that peaks in 1-2 hours. The wound bleeds. The wounded area may become swollen and may turn blue or red. Lymph nodes may become swollen.

Serious symptoms:jo8

Nausea

Vomiting

Fever

Chills

muscle cramps

tremors

paralysis

fainting

seizures

elevated heart rate

decreased blood pressure

Death may even occur, so fast action is needed. By using a Portable Ray RX Stingray Kit from our lifeguard store, you can stop symptoms before they start.

2)       Drowning

Lifeguards always say, “Don’t drown your kids with standard heavy cotton t-shirts”, these tend to become heavy and bothersome while swimming. Instead we recommend Rashguards (Surf Shirts), they are light weight and breathable. Rashguards are used by lifeguards and the public against rashes caused by abrasions and nasty sunburns from extended exposure to the sun. Rashguards can be worn by themselves, or under a wetsuit.

3)       Rashes

Combining sand, sun, and salt water with surfboards, life vests, or wetsuits create the perfect environment for beastly beach rash. Again, in the lifeguard store our Rashguards or surf shirts provide a barrier between the rash causing elements.

Our lifeguard store also has lower body rashguards. You can wear them under boardshorts, wetsuits or by themselves. At Original Watermen, we created the watermen short (our version of compressions shorts), where we offer a rash-free guarantee, as it is made with antimicrobial odor eliminating fabric.

 

4)       Jelly Fish

Lifeguards deal with jelly fish stings daily. Jelly fish are unseen in the approaching wave; therefore, stings are a common. The tentacles trailing from the jellyfish body inject you with venom from small barbed stingers. Jellyfish stings vary greatly in severity. Getting stung results in immediate pain and red marks on the skin. Some jellyfish stings may cause illness and in rare cases jellyfish stings can cause death. Protection can be improved by putting on a rashguard life the ones we carry at our lifeguard store.

Jelly fish sting

First and foremost, seek emergency medical help if you feel you are having a severe allergic reaction, if the sting is from a box jellyfish or if the sting covers more than half an arm or leg.

What should you do once stung?

Get out of the water

Remove all tentacles by scraping the affected area with a credit card

Immerse the affected arm or leg immediately in hot water for at least twenty minutes

 

This is another instance where the sting ray kit from our lifeguard store can help, as it contains a self-contained heating system.

Rinse the area with vinegar for at least 30 seconds (If vinegar is not available make a paste of baking soda and water, and apply over the affected area)

5)       Sun Danger

Of course, you need sun protection in and out of the water. At the lifeguard store we offer Solrx sunscreen. Solrx was voted best in its class, and lasts 8 hours with one single application, plus it stays on in the water. Solrx sunscreen is recommended by dermatologists and is both hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic.

Don’t forget your hats

We have a wide variety of hats in our lifeguard store. Not only do hats protect your face from the bad (UV) rays of the sun, but a hat also protects your eyes, ears and the top of your head from disease and skin cancer. Extended exposure to the sun’s UV rays has been linked to eye damage, including cataracts and macular degeneration.

How does the sun affect you?

UV rays radiate from the sun and come from many directions and are reflected from the ground, water, snow, sand and other bright surfaces. Sun damage to eyes occurs even on cloudy days as the sun’s rays pass through haze and thin clouds. Protect your eyes from UV rays by wearing a hat and sunglasses. In our lifeguard store, we have a quiver of hats, which offer you an array of options, for any day and any condition.

Now you have a complete list of essential equipment needed for a safe day at the beach, and all can be quickly found on our Original Watermen website and lifeguard store.

lifeguard gear, Original Watermen, beach safty, Original Watermen Gear, stay salty, earn your salt

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