With summer comin’ on, many traveling seniors will forget what they learned at camp or on family excursions to Atlantic City, Miami or Malibu. Protect  yourself from the hazards of the not-too-friendly sun.

You must realize by now that you’re no longer the tanned bathing beauty or bronzed beach hero of two generations ago. In those days, your skin could take all kinds of abuse from the sun and, even not be too bothered by a bit of sunburn.

You could slosh some ointment on it and you’d be AOK in just a few days. Anyhow, it was worth a bit of redness and itching if you could wow everyone at the water cooler with your great tan. Of course, this was long before you could buy sprays to make you look tan.

Here are just a few suggestions on how you can enjoy the summer sun while out on the beach, walking the golf green, climbing the mountain or sailing the seas.

1. On your first exposure while on vacation, on the links or in your backyard, make it five or 10 minutes a day in the direct sunlight for the first week or so. After that, keep your skin exposure to the sun to less than 30 minutes a day.

2. Do most of your sunning before 10 am and after 4 pm. During the heat of the day, that’s when the ultraviolet rays are strongest, and severe damage to the skin can occur, including severe burns, lesions and potential skin cancer.

3. When you want to enjoy the sun for long periods on the links, hiking or boating, minimize the direct effect by wearing protective clothing, including a large hat, light coat or sleeved shirt, long skirt or trousers. Wear sunglasses whenever in direct sunlight, and if you need corrective lenses, especially for driving, get sunglasses prescribed with effective shading for maximum eyesight and comfort.

4. Slosh on the stuff. For any direct exposure to the sun, for no matter how long, use plenty of sunscreen, with an SPF rating of at least 15. Do it several times a day when you’re out there for several hours. When you swim, slosh it on again before you do any sunning.

5. Know when to go sunning. Try to arrange all of your summer activities to end by 10 am. Drink plenty of cool liquids throughout your day, preferably citrus juices and ades, and go easy on stimulants, including coffee and alcohol. If you begin to feel even slight symptoms that could lead to heat exhaustion or, worse, sunstroke, stop what you’re doing immediately, get out of the sun and into shelter where you can lie down. The symptoms could be suddenly being overcome with a tired feeling, dizziness, nausea, mental confusion and rapid heartbeat. Don’t be afraid to ask for help if the symptoms persist.

Whatever you do this season, enjoy your sunshine, but just don’t overdo it.