By Katlin Sweeney

Features Editor

Every year, the month of June arrives quicker than expected and so begins the continuous cycle of spontaneous pool parties, beach trips and weather that encourages baring a little more skin.

The pressure continues to build as women and men alike are forced to face the disheartening truth: summer is not a time of relaxation. In fact, it is the opposite. For many people, the word ‘summer’ has become synonymous with going to the gym and getting in shape at least a month in advance, preparing for these invites that rarely come with much warning.

It is an admittedly ridiculous concept, to be stressed during the few months of the year when students do not have a full course load and have more free time on their hands. But it is that lingering, silent fear of spontaneity that leads people to spend more time on their appearance during the summer than they normally do the rest of the year.

It used to be relatively easy to match what we have been told the ideal ‘beach body’ should look like: tan and in-shape. But now, women face a more difficult challenge when trying to morph themselves into the of-the-moment body type.

For women that are thin, there is pressure to have bigger assets to complement their slenderness, and for a woman that is curvier, there is pressure to shed the excess weight on her body so that her curves are only defined in ‘desired’ places.

Obviously, it is nearly impossible for a woman, even one that works out frequently, to magically shed the so-called ‘extra’ pounds that linger on her stomach and on her legs. Getting in shape is not hard, but simultaneously losing weight in certain areas and gaining it in others is difficult to attain.

While stress over looking good for the summer has traditionally been considered a woman-specific issue, men deal with the pressure of toning up as well. The perceived ‘need’ to develop a flat stomach, six-pack and muscular build is something that continues to force men into the gym as frequently as, if not more often, than women.

However, this pressure for both genders to become ‘better’ looking for one season out of the year is something that takes away from the purpose of being on break: not having to worry. We should not be worried about curving our diets or scheduling more time for the gym just to look more attractive when wearing a bathing suit. There are much better ways to spend our summer.