As seen on Healthy Holistic Living, if you needed additional reasons to go to the beach more often, this is an excellent article for you! Namely, the sun, sand, and sea have an amazing power to strengthen our physical and mental health and well-being, science says.
Going to the Beach Regularly Is Good for Your Health
A study published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology by J. Aaron Hipp, professor and environmental health expert, explains the restorative and rejuvenating properties of beach environments. He adds that numerous studies concluded that natural surroundings, including beaches, are more beneficial for us than entertainment venues, gyms, and urban environments.
But, he asserts that we need specific conditions at the beach in order to reap full benefits, i.e. the temperature should be mild and the tides low.
The Benefits of the Sun
Although excessive sun exposure can be damaging to our health and skin, there are certain advantages when you are properly exposed to it. First and foremost, when the skin is exposed to the sunrays, our bodies are capable of making vitamin D, a nutrient which assists with the absorption of calcium and maintains the strength of the bones. Most of the vitamin D we acquire is from the sunlight (there are some foods that can help the body with the production of vitamin D too).
10 minutes of daily exposure to sun, as seen on Healthy Holistic Living, supplies us with the needed daily amount. Sun exposure is not just advantageous for the vitamin D levels, but it also increases the release of endorphins and plays a role in the potential prevention of autoimmune illnesses.
Be that as it may, excessive exposure to sunlight elevates your risk of cancer. Therefore, whenever you go out in the sun, make sure you wear appropriate and protective clothes and remember to apply sunscreen, regardless of the season.
The Benefits of the Sand
Our feet soles have a higher amount of sweat glands and nerve endings than any other body parts and thus, walking barefoot, also known as grounding, is considered to be far more beneficial than walking in shoes. This is because the contact of our feet soles and earth is stimulating the nerve endings and strengthens the feet muscles. This will also boost your mood because you are reconnecting your body with the ongoing energy of the Earth, something which has become less common with modern lifestyles.
Sand walking, according to a study, requires 1.6 to 2.5 times the energy which we need to walk on a hard surface. And, the muscles perform mechanical work when we are running or walking on sand rather than on harder surfaces.
The Benefits of Sea
Sea water is abundant in minerals, including iodine, potassium, and magnesium and this may assist in the fight against infections and may even help the body in healing and cleansing itself. Moreover, swimming was found beneficial in reducing stress and elevating the sense of well-being; swimming and exercise in water was shown to lower anxiety and depression as well.
Besides having amazing therapeutic effects, swimming is a great physical workout too because it engages most of the main muscle groups, especially if the water provides mild resistance. Therefore, swimming at least 2 hours and 30 minutes per week may lower the chance for chronic illnesses and better the health of the heart and it is highly recommendable.
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