6 Things You Should Avoid Doing in Summer
Summer is a wonderful time of the year. It’s a time for happiness and parties. People usually take a vacation at some point and are generally more relaxed and carefree. However, there are several things you should avoid doing in summer to enjoy it to the fullest and not suffer in the high temperatures.
The arrival of this season involves a change in routines: the days are getting longer, you’re making vacation plans, and temperatures are rising. This brings out dresses, cut-off pants, looser clothes, and bathing suits. However, you need to take certain precautions when tackling the heat to be able to enjoy it while also taking care of your health.
1. Things to avoid in the summer: Forgetting sunscreen
Applying sunscreen is a self-care habit you should never overlook, even in winter. However, summer is the time when your skin needs the most protection.
The American Academy of Dermatology estimates that at least 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime. It also notes that most people only apply 25-50% of the recommended amount of sunscreen.
Another common mistake is forgetting to apply it to areas such as the neck, shoulders, hands, the tops of the feet, and the ears. These are sensitive areas that are exposed to the sun, although not as often as the face.
2. Not hydrating enough
During the summer, it’s important to maximize hydration to protect your health, especially on the hottest days. However, you also need to bear in mind that not all drinks hydrate the body in the same way.
Although a couple of beers or a glass of chilled wine are tempting options in this season, it’s important not to forget about water. This is the healthiest liquid and the most effective. Alcohol can actually dehydrate, achieving the opposite effect.
Read more here: The Consequences of Dehydration
3. Things to avoid in the summer: Stopping exercise
Vacations are indeed a time to rest and enjoy time off. However, many people tend to abandon healthy eating habits and exercise altogether. This is a bad thing because it’ll be much more difficult to start up again later.
Summer isn’t an excuse to stop taking care of yourself. The most important thing is to maintain a balance. You can make use of the cool evenings to exercise when the sun isn’t so strong.
4. Excessive sun exposure
Sunlight is essential for maintaining optimal vitamin D levels in the body. In addition, spending time stretched out on the beach enjoying the sound of the sea is very pleasant.
However, overdoing it with sun exposure can be dangerous. It’s best to go outdoors in the morning, before 11:00 a.m., or in the afternoon after 4:00 p.m.
It’s essential to remember that if you have a baby at home under 6 months of age, you need to protect them. Their skin is still very delicate and direct exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays should be avoided. Buy them a hat and appropriate clothing.
Recommended reading: Precautions Before, During and After Sun Exposure
5. Forgetting to protect the environment
Climate change is causing some unbearable heat waves. A study by the American Geophysical Union revealed that global warming could increase the length of summer. This will bring negative effects for human health and food production, and an increase in mosquito-borne diseases.
So, this isn’t the time to forget about being sustainable. Some tips that can help you achieve this are to turn off the air conditioning when it’s not necessary and make use of the water it gives off.
Carry a glass water bottle and avoid plastic. Don’t leave garbage at the beach or in parks. To practice sustainable tourism, take an ecological toiletry kit with you on vacation, with shampoo and solid soap.
6. Eating acidic fruits in the sun
Orange, lemon, grapefruit, lime, and tangerine are delicious, refreshing fruits. Although they may seem ideal for summertime, you need to be careful when eating them. If you have juice from one of these citrus fruits on your skin when it’s exposed to the sun, it can stain your skin.
Tips to survive the summer
Now that you know the things you should avoid doing in summer, let’s look at some tips to enjoy this season to the fullest. Although heatwaves can be exhausting, there are things you can do to get through them and take care of your well-being.
Be more cautious with food
The summer heat can cause some foods to go bad faster, especially if you don’t keep them in the refrigerator. For this reason, it’s essential that, when you do your shopping, you get the food home as quickly as possible.
This recommendation is key to avoid the growth of harmful bacteria in meat, for example. In addition, you should also be more cautious with fruits and vegetables.
Use deodorant on your thighs
One thing that many people with big thighs often loathe about summer is the feeling of their legs sticking together, due to rubbing. This can be unbearable after wearing a dress all day.
However, there’s a very effective and simple trick that completely solves this problem: use deodorant on your thighs to avoid sweating and irritation in this area.
Keep hydrated
We’ve already mentioned that lack of hydration is one of the things you should avoid in summer. In fact, you should hydrate frequently and thoroughly.
However, it’s not just about drinking water. It’s important to take care of your skin more than in other seasons, and to eat fruits and vegetables that are rich in water and fiber.
Eat at buffets in moderation
If you’re on vacation and find yourself in front of a buffet, it can be hard not to overindulge. But by doing this you can waste a lot of food or overeat.
In this case, you should fill your plate with your head and not with your eyes. Be rational and think about what you really want to eat. Keep your stomach volume in mind. You don’t want to go home overweight and with health problems.
Have aloe vera at the ready
The best natural ally to cure sunburn is aloe vera! It helps cool the skin and accelerate the healing process. You can store the pulp in a glass jar in the refrigerator.
Beware of bad smells
The summer heat can make you sweat excessively and it’s very annoying when that sweat starts to smell bad. To combat this, try to take extra care when cleaning your armpits to avoid the proliferation of bacteria that cause this issue.
You can exfoliate them at least once a week. Likewise, a cleanse with baking soda and lemon is very useful. Just make a paste with these two ingredients and leave it on for 10 minutes. Then wash it off and use your usual deodorant.
Take care of your mental health!
In this article, we’ve talked about 6 things you should avoid doing in summer and some tips to survive the season. However, there’s another fundamental aspect you need to take care of, which is your mental health. Since you’ll have more free time, you could consider starting to practice meditation or yoga.
Remember that your body is wonderful and you shouldn’t shy away from the beach or the pool for fear of wearing a bikini. There are things you should avoid doing in summer, but make sure you enjoy life and don’t compare yourself to others!
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Sunscreen FAQs. (s. f.). Recuperado 28 de junio de 2021, de Aad.org website: https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/sun-protection/sunscreen-patients/sunscreen-faqs.
- Wang J, Guan Y, Wu L, Guan X et al. Changing lengths of the Four Seasons by global warming. Geophysical Research Letters. 2021; 48(6).
- Volmut T, Pišot R, Planinšec J, Šimunič B. Physical Activity Drops During Summer Holidays for 6- to 9-Year-Old Children. Front Public Health. 2021 Jan 18;8:631141.
- Chapman-Novakofski K. Summer is Different: What That Means for Nutrition Educators. J Nutr Educ Behav. 2016 Jul-Aug;48(7):436.
- Baranowski T, O’Connor T, Johnston C, Hughes S, Moreno J, Chen TA, Meltzer L, Baranowski J. School year versus summer differences in child weight gain: a narrative review. Child Obes. 2014 Feb;10(1):18-24.
