01After a tiring day at the office, there is nothing more our heart desires than to spend as much time with our family and friends as possible. If not that, then all we want to do is a fun activity that offers a refreshing break from everyday life.
But what if we told you that some of those activities can have painful consequences and that it’s best if you avoid enrolling in them at all cost. While we’re certain that most of the leisurely activities you like are practically harmless (unless you’re a very daring individual), it is best if you avoid the following very common leisure activities.
Don’t Slide with Your Child
When a slide is big enough that it brings out the child within you, you may be tempted to go for it. However, to avoid looking a bit weird to other parents, you will most likely take your child with you onto the slide so that it looks like you are assisting rather than doing it for your own selfish reasons.
Another, more plausible, reason why you would eventually find yourself on the slide with your child is to really assist him with the slide-taking experience, either because it’s his first time or the slide is too big for him.
While a parent using a slide with a child gives a very normal and adorable imagery in the mind, the consequences of the same may not be as rosy. In fact, it can be downright dangerous for your child. Why? Because although slides are not known for tragic outcomes, whenever you slide down with your child you put him at a risk of incurring a serious injury in the lower leg.
According to statistics, it is estimated that around 352000 children in the US suffered from slide-related injuries between the years 2003 and the year 2015, a lot of which were in the lower body.
For researchers, this statistic proved to be very strange because a child that is sliding down on his own would typically not be able to injure his legs in any way due to the fact that his body weight and subsequent momentum on the slide would not be high enough to be able to cause any damage.
However, you place an adult with the child on the same slide and suddenly the weight and the momentum increase substantially, and with that momentum as soon as the child lands on the ground he has to bear the weight of a full-grown adult on his tiny legs.
Don’t Drive in the Sun
Of course, some form of commute is impossible to avoid considering all of the commitments which require us to leave the comfort of our homes and go out in the sun to fulfil them. But when you go out for that leisurely drive in the sun, especially during winter months, then prepare to welcome some long-term damage to your skin thanks to the extremely harmful UV rays coming with that pleasant sunlight.
This is especially true for those in the driving seat, because although the windshield has a protective screen on it to repel UV rays, the side windows are not as fancy, and therefore all that exposure to the sun is fully absorbed.
There are a few solutions to this problem. First, and perhaps the most obvious, is that you apply a sunscreen most appropriate for the level of sun your locality gets.
Second, you can cover up with clothing that does not expose your skin to the sun (which sounds very uncomfortable and impractical indeed). And third, apply a tint to your side windows, however first make sure that doing so is not illegal in your country of residence.
Be Careful with Lime
Fixing yourself a drink after a tough day at the office is a natural chore for many people, but when handling lime just make sure you don’t spray it onto your skin. And even if you do make such a mistake, then make sure to wash it immediately and thoroughly with soap.
Why? Because if you expose that part of your skin to sunlight while the lime juice is still on it, you risk developing painful blisters, second-degree burns, and even long-term discoloration.