Benefits of Tanning

My Story

Ever wonder how that colleague of yours at the office always looks so healthy and seems so full of energy? Or maybe it's your neighbor down the street who looks great year-round, exudes self-confidence, and never seems to catch the latest bug going around? What's their secret?

While I can appreciate the topic of health is a complex one, I've got a little story of my own. Since graduating from university four years ago I began working for a high-tech company full-time. The work consumed much of my day and I didn't allow myself as much recreational time as I should have. I also noticed that my health was beginning to suffer despite my continued efforts to eat well and keep fit by swimming and working out at the local gym. I thought to myself, what has changed in my life so much that it's causing me to feel as unhealthy as I do? I simply just blamed it on stress.

I didn't find what I was missing in my life until I booked a vacation to Mexico and began visiting a local tanning salon. I was missing the most wonderful (and free) drug of all – UV! Yes UV changed my life! What happened is this, I started going to the tanning salon to develop a base tan prior to my vacation. You see the thing was my professional life and indoor activities had kept me out of the sun for almost four years, I was white as a ghost. I knew by developing a base tan I would be less likely to sunburn during my Mexico vacation but I didn't expect to feel so good after my tanning visits. After only a few 10 to 15 minute tanning sessions I began to notice I had more energy, more drive, and more endurance. I was feeling four years younger!

I decided to investigate this a little further: should I have expected to feel this good? Is there research out there that backs up what I'm experiencing? What I found astonished me! With all the hype about the dangers of skin cancer, the media has led us to believe any UV exposure is bad UV exposure. They've neglected to mention the countless benefits moderate UV exposure has to offer. Did you know that moderate UV exposure stimulates production of vitamin D, and in doing so may reduce the chances of developing breast cancer, prostate cancer, colon cancer, or ovarian cancer? Moderate UV exposure can also decrease the chance of catching the common cold, helps to build bone density, and prevents diseases such as rickets and osteomalacia. Not to mention tanning makes you feel great because you look great – you sexy tanned thing, you!

I encourage you to take a look around my site, there's so much to learn about the benefits of moderate UV exposure and tanning. As I continue my research I'll be adding short articles on tanning, many of these I'll place in the tanning articles section. If you would like to experience the benefits of UV for yourself, and I hope you do, I've written a couple sections on indoor tanning and outdoor tanning to get you started. Finally, if you're looking for some scientific facts and extensive research on the benefits of UV you may be interested in picking up a copy of Michael Holick's new book, The UV Advantage. Here you can find a UV Advantage review I've written.

I'm interested in your stories too, write to me and let me know how you rediscovered, or have always practiced tanning. Then with your permission I'll post your story on my site to share with others (privacy of course is protected, I will not post names, specific locations, or e-mail addresses).