Life at CU Boulder brings plenty of opportunities to get outdoors, get some vitamin D and to get active. Share these tips with your student so they can stay healthy and enjoy the best of Colorado.
Outdoor exposure
300 days of sunshine combined with high altitudes make Colorado a pretty special place to be. Minimize the risks while still enjoying our great outdoors with these guidelines:
- Apply sunscreen of at least SPF 30 half an hour before heading outside. Reapply often to avoid sunburns.
- Wear protective clothing like sunglasses, hats and long-sleeved shirts when you’ll be out in the sun for a while.
- Know the signs of dehydration, and drink water consistently throughout the day; even more so if exercising or being active outdoors. Being at a high altitude combined with lots of sun exposure means dehydration happens much quicker than expected.
- Invest in mosquito and other bug repellants if hiking, biking, camping or spending time in wooded areas.
- If exercising outdoors, look for an area in the shade or save it for the early mornings and evenings when temperatures are lower.
Biking
With plenty of designated lanes and trails, Boulder is the perfect place to log some miles on a bike. Whether commuting to class or heading to the farmer’s market, keep these tips in mind:
- Helmets greatly reduce the risk of brain injury – Boulder is very bike friendly but accidents can and do happen.
- If riding at night, pick up a set of bike reflectors and reflective clothing.
- Know the laws and follow them: ride with the flow of traffic, stay in the bike lane, use hand signals and take out headphones before hitting the road.
- When riding with friends, it’s important to stay single-file to allow cars, pedestrians and other cyclists to also use the roads and paths.
Camping
Rocky Mountain National Park is right in our backyard, and there’s no better way to explore it than with a classic Colorado camping trip. Whether your student will be staying local or heading out of town, here’s what we recommend:
- Check the rules and regulations of Rocky Mountain National Park before heading out.
- Avoid food poisoning: pack in tight, waterproof containers, keep the cooler insulated, sanitize hands often, separate raw foods from cooked foods and cook meats to the appropriate temperature (bring along a meat thermometer to be sure).
- Keep food sealed in bear-proof containers and don’t leave out any food packaging, wrappers or scraps of uneaten food around the campsite.
- Be smart about drinking water: bring along your own bottled water, or research the water treatment method that works best for you. More information on doing so can be found on the CDC website.
- Keep a first-aid kit stocked and ready to go, and review basic health skills together (like how to identify poison ivy, what to do if you see a wild animal, how to disinfect a cut and hands-only CPR).
- Speak with a primary care provider about any vaccinations they may want depending on where they’ll be camping.
- Get social with the buddy system: remind your student to always have someone nearby looking out in case of an emergency and do the same for them, whether they’re hiking, kayaking, swimming or climbing.
- Be prepared – encourage your student to double check and make sure they have all the gear they need for their adventures. If they’re not ready to make the full investment, the Outdoor Program through the Rec Center rents out all kinds of gear to CU Boulder students.