Sunshine. Waves. Peacefulness. Beauty. If you need more reasons to visit the beach keep reading! You’ll be pleasantly surprised, that you can Visit the Beach for Your Health.
The beach nourishes our bodies! A day at the beach means no phone calls/texts, breathing in fresh air, and taking in the beauty that is around us. Relaxing at last!
This post may contain affiliate links.
Sometimes our food intolerances and allergies can hold us back from enjoying time away. Learn how to travel with ease; How to Prepare for Travel with Food Allergies.
Beach Benefits
I’ve always felt that walking the beach and soaking up the sunshine was benefiting both my body and my mental health. Does it really have benefits to our health? It didn’t take much research to see that others have looked into this idea as well.
Research has actually been done on the benefits of visiting the beach. When you read down through the list, see if you experienced any of these benefits.
Recommended Sunscreen: Absolutely Natural Sunscreen – SPF 30 with Rose Hips Oil.
Have you noticed that when you visit the beach, your muscles relax, and your brain focuses on the beauty surrounding you? I would guess many of you already know that a day at the beach benefits our body as well as your brain.
Stay hydrated: Eco Vessel Summit TriMax Vacuum Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle with Flip Straw Top – 24 Ounce
Visit the Beach for Your Health
Sunshine. You’re not imaging it, sunshine does make us mentally feel brighter. When we expose ourselves to sunshine, our brain increases serotonin, which is the natural chemical that makes us feel good and positive.
Reduces Stress. Stress doesn’t often magically melt away. We have to plan to reduce stress. One way can do that is disconnecting from our electronic devices. Prepare yourself to set down the phone and take in your surroundings. The beach is a natural atmosphere for peaceful relaxation either by shell hunting or sitting down to enjoy a good book.
Vitamin D absorption. It’s also called the Sunshine Vitamin. Vitamin D absorption is crucial for our bone health, fighting disease, reducing inflammation and supports reducing the risk of depression symptoms. Dr. Mercola goes into a bit more detail about safe sun exposure. Maximizing Your Vitamin D from Safe Sun Exposure.
Additional Beach Benefits
Good workout. One of the best natural workouts you can give your body is walking on sand (or the beach). It takes more effort to walk on sand than it does a smooth surface.
Grounding. Walking the beach (without shoes) is beneficial for our body. We don’t often have this connection with the earth anymore. When we connect directly with the ground, our body benefits. Some known benefits are reducing inflammation, increases energy levels, reduces pain, and relieves muscle tension. Wellness Mama goes into more detail on the science behind grounding at “Earthing & Grounding: Legit or Hype?“.
Benefits Our Brain. Visiting the ocean allows our brain waves to change in a beneficial way. It puts our bodies in a relaxed state simply by focusing on absorbing sunshine, listening to the waves, and walking on the sand. Check out “How the Beach Benefits Your Brain, According to Science.”
Blue Space Benefits
The colors our eyes take in affect our well being, mood, and energy levels. You’ve most likely heard or experienced that the color yellow is one of the best colors for a classroom as it’s attractive and increases creativity.
Light blue is known for it’s calming affects on our body. It evokes a sense of relaxation and positive thinking. We often think of “blue space” when visiting lakes, rivers, and oceans. Spending a few hours in a blue space boosts our overall health and encourages us to be active. I enjoyed reading “Being near a body of water makes us calmer and healthier, science shows.”
Would you like to know more about how colors affect our mood and energy levels? Check out: Psychology: Classroom Colors Conducive to Learning & Does color really affect our mind and body?
Treasures of the Ocean
Simplicity. Enjoy a walk along the beach and look for big and little treasures. It’s a stress relieving activity for all ages. When we find live sea creatures, like the sea star above, we simply take a pictures to remember it. We’re always looking out at the horizon to spot playful dolphins too.
My family has found dried out puffer fish, live crabs, and a variety of sea shells. Myrtle Beach is known for having an abundance of sharks. So we set out to search the beach for shark teeth. It’s a natural relaxing treasure hunt.
One visit to Popham Beach State Park in Maine, we found a plethora of old sand dollars. We could walk the beach for miles. What are your experiences at the beach?
Beach Umbrella: Sport-Brella Super-Brella SPF 50+ Sun and Rain Canopy Umbrella for Beach and Sports Events (8-Foot, Blue)
Visit the Beach for your Health
Are you ready to visit the beach? I could go back right now! Thankfully I live in Michigan, where we’re surrounded by beaches. We have our choice of Lake Michigan, Lake Huron and Lake Superior. Miles of sandy beaches to walk and take in the beautiful body of water. It’s definitely mentally refreshing.
Next time you plan a day trip or family vacation to the beach know that you are benefiting your body. You’ll soak up the sunshine vitamin, relax, and reduce stress.
I would love to hear where you like to visit. Is it a lake or ocean? What are some beaches you would recommend to other readers?
Pursing Better Health Together,