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6 Ways Living By The Water Can Improve Your Health
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If you always feel refreshed and recharged after spending a day at the beach, it’s not in your head. The elevated feelings you experience when you spend a day by the sea can definitely improve your outlook and your overall health. Whenever you go to the beach, sit on the sand and just take in the natural movements as the waves of the ocean roll in and out. There is a calming effect that comes over us. It’s a simple repetitive movement, but it actually calms you down and lulls you into a peaceful state of mind.
A team of New Zealand researchers who hail from the University of Canterbury found that those who live near bodies of water with blue skies overhead were mentally better equipped than those who lived in rural areas or cities that were not located near any oceans, rivers, or lakes. The people who had access to an aquatic view were more relaxed, had fewer mood disorders and were generally happier.
If you are trying to decide whether to finally take the plunge and get a place on the beach, check out the following six ways your health will improve with every breath of the fresh salt air.
1. You will be more active
Even if you live in an area where it is sunny most of the time, just a few days of incessant rain will put you in a whole different mindset. You will probably feel like curling up and reading a book or watching a movie. You may feel tired, lazy, and like you’re getting nothing done. But if you were able to step outside and enjoy the sun’s rays, blue skies above, and the peaceful sounds of the ocean before you, your activity level will instantly increase. A walk on the beach, a dip in the water, or a chance to take up some water sports all make for a fun day with an improved activity level.
2. A regular dose of vitamin D is yours every day
The sun’s rays are the best way to get a full dose of vitamin D every day. The health benefits of the proper daily dosage of vitamin D include a stronger autoimmune system, stronger bones, a lower chance of cancer, and an increase in endorphins, which will make you happy and elevate your mood in the most natural way.
3. Healing properties of salt water
Salt water has long been recognized for its healing effects. It increases your circulation levels, hydrates your skin, and boosts your immune system. Because salt water has high levels of magnesium, it has been proven to relax your muscles. When some people have a cut or an infection on their feet, one of the first things they do is soak their feet in salt water. Within a day or two, the affected area is on its way to being completely healed.
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4. Enjoy a good night’s sleep every night
Proof that the soothing sounds of the ocean help to promote a solid night’s sleep are evident in the many different machines that provide white noise. The waves crashing, combined with the fresh air, provide a natural lullaby, ensuring not only will you enjoy a deep relaxing sleep, you will wake up calm and refreshed. When you have all of nature offering a spontaneous performance just for you, there is no need to turn on the television and subject yourself to the trials of the day.
5. Calming effects of the ocean
Whether the ocean is calm and quiet and the wind is blowing gently by, or the water is rough and the waves are crashing along the coast, the repetitive sounds of nature will relax you. These are not sounds you can predict, but rather random patterns that will capture your attention and provide you with a completely different focal point. That in itself reduces your stress level and brings your blood pressure levels down.
6. It’s easy to achieve a meditative state
Meditation has been proven to clear your mind and alleviate the stress of the day. When you have the water as your focal point, you won’t even have to close your eyes to meditate. Simply relaxing and taking in deep breaths of the fresh salt air will fill your body with a sense of complete relaxation. Gone are the sounds of car horns, sirens, screeching tires, and other sources that will cause you to lose your focus and your body to tighten up.
READ ALSO: How Knitting Can Improve Your Health!
If you’re looking for a way to realign your mental outlook and ultimately improve your health, treat yourself to a day at the beach. It’s an investment in your mental outlook.
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