Health Benefits of the Beach
Did you know that your environment can contribute to your overall health? When we think about making changes to our health we often think about things like diet and exercise. Few people think about how their environment is affecting their health ... good and bad.
It is no secret that the beach is our family's happy place. I don't really need science to tell me the beach is healthy for me, I can just feel it when I am there. But it is nice to know there is science that shows it is. Here are some reasons why the beach is good for our health:
1. Relaxing: The rhythmic sound of the ocean waves calms brain activity and the color blue brings on calming feelings. Watching the ocean actually changes our brain waves frequency and puts us into a mild meditative state. Sunlight also increases the brain’s production of serotonin, which has a positive effect on mood, sleep and stress.
2. Vitamin D: Sunlight is one of the best sources of vitamin D, as exposure to UVB rays causes cholesterol in our skin to synthesize vitamin D3. Vitamin D is essential for bone health, metabolism, the immune system and mental health.
3. Fights Inflammation & Infections: Sea water contains minerals like magnesium, potassium and iodine that help the body fight infection and can ease inflammation symptoms. Salt water acts as a natural disinfectant that cleans wounds and speeds healing.
4. Better Sleep: The exercise and relaxation you do at the beach, combine to make the perfect natural remedy for insomnia. Your skin is also absorbing magnesium via the salt water, and this essential mineral calms both the nervous and muscular systems and has been linked to helping with insomnia.
5. Burn Calories: Swimming is a low impact activity and the gentle resistance of the water makes it easy for people with arthritis or injuries to enjoy. Even walking on the beach will burn lots more calories. Did you know that walking on the sand requires almost 2.7 more energy expenditure than walking on a hard surface?
So when you are not feeling healthy think about what you're eating, how you are moving your body and don't forget to think about your environment and how that is impacting your health. Even if you don't live near a beach, consider a quick day trip to soak up all of the health benefits.
Even though I didn't need science to tell me I feel better at the beach, it is nice to know it exists. So tell me, does the beach make you feel healthier?
XO
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