Cancer Fears Drive Fitness Buffs Indoors

Health experts warn us to keep fit while also pestering us to beware of the sun's damaging rays. The solution, for many: indoor workouts. “I refuse to exercise outdoors,” one avid stationary cyclist tells the Boston Globe. She said she considers the sun a harbinger of cancer, not outdoor fun. “Once you start thinking about all the damage you’re doing you can’t shut it off,” notes another gym rat.

The sun offers vitamin D, which itself is looking more and more important to health, but more sun time equals more damage. “I talk about (sun damage) all the time with my patients who run,” says a dermatologist. Sunscreen, wide-brimmed hats, and long sleeves are options, but that “gets to be a little ridiculous,” notes one woman. To get the "outdoor" experience, she takes the virtual route—watching nature shows on the treadmill.
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