(NAPS)-—For years we’ve been told that wearing sunscreen is important for preventing sun damage and minimizing the risk of skin cancer. However, according to a recent survey on sun protec- tion and sports, abrnost half of people never or rarely wear sunscreen while exercising outdoors. Conducted by Roper Starch, the survey delved into Americans’ attitudes and behaviors concerning incidental sun exposure, or unintentional sun exposure-——for instance, while playing sports cutside or conducting chores such as yard work or walking the dog. “Mast people think of using sunsereen while at the beach or the pool, bat der’t realize that the sun doesn’t care where you are-—if youre outside, you’re exposed,” says Brian Boye, an editor at Men’s Health. “It seems obvious, yet only 17 percent of people polled always use sunscreen while participating in outdoor sports.” One explanation could be that people siraply underestimate the amount of time they spend in the sun. In fact, more than 60 percent of people surveyed didn’t realize that, on average, they get 19 hours of incidental sun exposure per week—an estimate provided by the National Safety Council. Other reasons given for not using sussereen inchide “I sweat it of(28 percent), “application is too maessy” (16 percent), “greasiness interferes with my participa-~ tion in activities” (16 percent) and “sunscreen products are too inconvenient” (22 percent). According to Boye, these people may simply be using the wrong sun protection products. “People need to make sunscreen part of their sports gear Wearing sunscreen whenever you're outdoors is considered the most effective way of preventing sun damage. and their lifestyle-—just as you wouldn't ride a bicycle without a helmet, you shouldn't spend time outdoors without sunscreen,” he says. “When recommending sunscreen to my readers, I lock for a product like new Active Sport Quick-Dry Gel from Banana Boat that goes on clean and won’t come off when they sweat, so it won’t get in the way of their game.” Wondering which sunscreen is right for you? Visit www.banana beat.corn to find the right SPF to protect yourself against the day’s UVindex. Just phig your zip code, skin type and the outdooractivity you have planned into the site’s SPF finder and you'll be sure to have adequate protection from the sun's rays. “Most people don’t realize that the highest UVlevels begin in the late spring and early summer,” adds Bove. “So nowis the time for everyone to make sure they have their sunscreen on hefore heading into the great outdoors.”
