6 Healthy Benefits of Hitting The Beach
The beach is one of my favorite places to go think, unwind, and recharge from the stress and hustle bustle that goes along with the day to day routine. There’s truly no place that combines the simple pleasures of unplugging and enjoying nature in our otherwise tech-heavy and work-driven realities. Spending time by the coast has many unsuspected physical, mental, and spiritual benefits that can assist us to live a happier, healthier, and more laid-back lifestyle.
1. Sunshine is a great source of Vitamin D!
Believe it or not, most people get 80-90% of their daily dose of Vitamin D from the sun. Vitamin D is essential for bone health, healthy skin, and even good for improving your mental health and overall mood. For most people, 10-15 minutes of unprotected sun exposure will give you just the right amount of Vitamin D to meet your daily needs. Of course, if your planning on being at the beach for longer (which most typically are), be sure to use sunblock to avoid excessive sun exposure as this can lead to skin cancer.
2. Sand is a natural skin exfoliant!
There’s just something to be said about how good it feels to walk barefoot across the sand at the beach. Each of your feet has between 3,000 and 7,000 nerve endings that awaken when you walk across those tiny grains of warm gritty sand. The wet salty sand acts as a natural exfoliant that peels dead skin off the bottom of your feet (and anywhere else on your body for that matter) replacing it with a new layer of nice, smooth skin leaving you feeling renewed. Exfoliation keeps your skin feeling healthy, clean, and free of excessive dirt and oil build up preventing blackheads and acne from forming.
3. Sunlight has been shown to decrease depression and stress!
Many people can agree that they feel happier and less depressed during the warm summer months. Studies have shown that the amount of sunlight people receive directly affects their overall mood. With increased sunlight exposure, people’s levels of serotonin (a hormone responsible for regulation of mood) increases, having a positive effect on stress, sleep, and appetite. Essentially, more sunlight means better mood and less sunlight leads to symptoms of depression.
4. Ocean water can preserve skin elasticity!
As we age our skin, tends to lose its tightness. Ocean water has been shown to be full of anti-aging minerals that can help counter the decline of your skin’s elasticity. With that in mind, treating your body to a little bit of ocean water here and there can help keep your skin looking young and vibrant without resorting to expensive, more invasive procedures such as plastic surgery or botox injections.
5. You’re more likely to exercise at the beach!
Going to the beach almost always involves some form of physical activity serving as a great way to get some exercise in. Swimming, running, surfing, jogging, soccer, beach volleyball, or even simply walking the sandy shores are great ways to get out there and fit in some exercise. Believe it or not, simply walking on sand compared to even concrete requires 1.6 to 2.5 more times work! It’s almost hard to believe when someone says they go to the beach and don’t do get physical exercise. I mean, even simply walking through the sand to find your perfect open spot on the beach is a simple form of exercise.
6. Sea air has been shown to boost your immune system!
Sea air is chocked full of negative ions that are thought to neutralize free radicals throughout our body’s. The negative ions in sea air can help to kill bacteria which improves the overall function of the immune system of those inhaling it. In other words, breathing in sea air can strengthen your body’s immune system and defend you against harmful bacteria that can make you sick.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Dr. Garrett Desrosiers PT, DPT
Garrett is the CEO and Co-Owner of ProResults Physical Therapy Inc. in San Marcos, CA (North San Diego County). Garrett has been helping on-the-go active adults and athletes across the south western United States return to a pain-free active lifestyle without medications, injections, surgery or making unnecessary trips to the physician’s office since 2015. He graduated in 2013 with his Bachelors of Science in Kinesiology then went on to receive his Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Husson University in 2015. After working for three years in multiple fast paced outpatient orthopedic physical therapy clinics, Garrett quickly realized he was not able to provide the elite quality care he knew his clients deserved. Garrett felt clients were more than just a number or diagnosis and that in order to provide the time, empathy, passion, and high-quality treatment they deserved, starting his own private practice was the only option. Garrett is committed to helping every client make the best decision in regard to their health. His unique, personalized, eclectic, multifaceted approach takes those individuals who have decreased their activities or stopped being active all together to a real solution.