A beach vacation is many people’s ideal concept of getting away.
Actually, though, beach vacations have only become popular in the last 200 years.
Whether you are a surfer, a swimmer, a sun tanner, or all of the above, visiting the beach is a wonderful way to let all your worries melt away.
There are a number of benefits of the beach beyond getting a nice tan, though. Let’s take a look at seven awesome beach health benefits.
1. Visiting the Beach Reduces Stress
If you’ve ever taken a beach vacation, then you are probably aware of just how relaxing it can be.
The combination of the sun, the sand, and the waves can help you unwind in a way unlike any other. If work, relationships, or life has you stressed out, a day at the beach might be just what the doctor ordered.
With the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, going to the beach can be a lot more nerve-racking than usual. Check out our article on five ways to have beach fun during the pandemic.
2. A Day at the Beach Will Improve Your Sleep
Have you ever noticed how well you sleep when you spend a day at the beach?
This isn’t just a coincidence. The combination of relaxation, sunshine, and exercise that you get while on the beach can help to regulate your hormones and ensure that you get a peaceful night’s sleep.
Getting high quality sleep and enough of it is one of the most important things for your overall health. It can help you to stay at a healthy weight, boost your immune system, improve your mood, reduce stress, concentrate better, and so much more.
3. You Get Vitamin D
Vitamin D is absolutely essential to our health and well-being. However, in many parts of the world during the winter it is hard to get enough vitamin D from the sun and from food sources.
Spending just 10 minutes on a sunny beach, however, can be enough to give you your daily dose of vitamin D.
Vitamin D can help to keep your teeth, bones, and muscles healthy. A vitamin D deficiency can result in cognitive impairment, severe asthma in children, and an increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease, and cancer.
4. Going to the Beach Is a Great Opportunity to Exercise
There are so many different outlets for exercise on the beach. Whether you decide to surf, swim, or simply walk along the sandy shores, going to the beach is a great way to get outside and get some exercise.
Interestingly, when you walk on the sand, particularly barefoot, you are utilizing more muscles than you would be if you were just walking on the pavement. This makes sense if you can remember what it feels like to walk on a sandy beach.
5. Water Aerobics Can Help Reduce Inflammation and Pain
For people that have arthritis, joint pain, recently have had surgery, or are elderly, water aerobics is a wonderful way to get aerobic activity. The reason for this is that water aerobics is a low impact activity that offers a great deal of resistance.
If you’re heading to the beach, there are a number of things you’re going to want to bring with you. Here are 11 things to pack when you’re off to the beach.
6. Ocean Water Helps You Get the Iodine You Need
It’s important that your body has adequate levels of iodine so that your metabolic rates and your energy levels are optimal. It can also help to regulate your hormone levels and ensure that your nail and hair growth is healthy.
Your body needs iodine in order to make thyroid hormones. These are the hormones that are in control of a number of important functions in your body including your metabolism. Proper brain development and bone development during infancy and pregnancy also rely on thyroid hormones.
Luckily, iodine is naturally present in ocean water. This means that you can be supplementing your body with what it needs to be as healthy as possible by going for a dip in the ocean.
7. A Beach Vacation Helps You Get in Touch With Your Spirituality and Nature
Health isn’t just about your physical body nor even just your mental health. Our spirituality and our connection with nature are also an important part of what it means to be healthy in the modern world.
We all need to define our individual purpose and find meaning in life. But with the hustle and bustle of everyday life, it can be hard to get in touch with these aspects of yourself. Taking some time away from the rat race and relaxing by the vast and expensive ocean, can ensure that you have the opportunity to find spiritual wellness.
To be surrounded by the beauty of nature at the beach makes it difficult to ignore the bigger picture of our lives here on earth.
When You Experience All the Benefits of the Beach Don’t Forget Your Towel!
There are so many benefits of the beach that you should never feel guilty for taking a day off and laying out in the sun. Whether you are going to surf the waves, collect seashells, or catch some rays, going to the beach is a healthy and wholesome activity for all.
Going to the beach is one of the most simple ways to have fun, but that doesn’t mean that you should leave home without the necessary supplies. If you’re looking for an outdoor towel that dries fast and is super-compact, check out our BEARZ Outdoor quick dry travel towel!
