Half of the world is Vitamin D deficient. This staggering number is understandable given that exposure to the sun is one of the most significant changes our species has seen in our evolution. This change, too, has come with almost no relative time to adapt. Hundreds of thousands of years mostly or completely naked exposed almost always to the elements to virtually the opposite environment overnight (in evolutionary terms).
This fact comes with an assumption that there would likely be some sort of biological fallout for such a shift. We now understand that some of these fallout from Vitamin D deficiency includes but is not limited to “cancer, heart disease, fractures and falls, autoimmune diseases, influenza, type-2 diabetes, and depression.” The classic scholarly paper, Vitamin D: The “sunshine” vitamin, makes this point clear.
As much as we have a growing awareness and appreciation for the need for healthy Vitamin D levels, many still make efforts to get sun in ways that might not make the impacts they are assuming. First, we need to expose a fair amount of skin to the sun for the uptake of the UVB radiation from sunlight. UVB are the types of ultraviolet rays that produce Vitamin D. Exposing your back, for example, produces significantly more Vitamin D than just the hands and face. Second, your geography is important. According to Harvard Health Publishing, “people living north of the 37-degree-latitude line — roughly the imaginary line between Philadelphia and San Francisco — can’t get enough UVB in winter to do the trick.” Third, skin color matters. The fairer your skin the less sun you need. Darker skin? Spend more time in the sun. Lastly, the time of day matters. While it’s likely obvious, UVB levels are highest near midday.
Get out of your clothes and get in the sun. See you out there.
Logan Gelbrich
@functionalcoach
NOTES:
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4/17/20 WOD
Trunk Stability Progression:
Complete 3 rounds for quality of:
:10 Hollow Hold
:10 Arch Hold
:10 Hollow Hold
:10 Arch Hold
-Rest :90-
Rear Chain Accessory Progression:
Then, complete 3 rounds:
8 Top-to-Top Step Ups (L)
8 Top-to-Top Step Ups (R)
10 Sliding Hamstring Curls
Sprint work:
Then, complete 6 efforts for time:
100m Sprint
-Rest 1 Min-