ArtsAutosBooksBusinessEducationEntertainmentFamilyFashionFoodGamesGenderHealthHolidaysHomeHubPagesPersonal FinancePetsPoliticsReligionSportsTechnologyTravel

Health Benefits of going to the Beach

Updated on June 19, 2013

1. Seawater

Swimming in the ocean promotes general good health for its ability to detoxify the body. Seawater is extremely nutrient rich for its abundance of vitamins, minerals (salts), and microorganisms that are easily absorbed by the skin and aid in antibacterial functions and removing potentially hazardous toxins from your body. This removal of toxins promotes a stronger immune system and also causes people who suffer from acne and/or dry skin to notice a significant improvement in their condition. However, it is important to wash off with fresh water after swimming in the ocean since allowing the salt to remain can potentially counter the moisturizing effects of the magnesium rich water and cause the skin to dry even more. It is also important to be aware of potentially polluted areas of coastline.

2. Exercise

This almost goes without saying, but the exercise one typically gets at the beach has a few unique benefits. Having to traverse the irregular shifting surface of dry sand works countless small muscles responsible for balance that typically have fewer opportunities for meaningful development. Needless to say, regular visits to the beach will have a significant impact on your balance and coordination. You should definitely lose the flipflops once you are on the sand. Not only do they make it more difficult to walk on the awkward surface, but without them, the tough skin of your feet benefit enormously from the constant exfoliation. I find my summer visits to the beach work wonders on those pesky calluses that crop up throughout the rest of the year.

Swimming is undisputedly one of the best forms of exercise. It is particularly good for you if you are overweight because it is a vigorous exercise that spares your joints and bones obesity related strain. Ocean water is particularly effective for the buoyancy resulting from the high salinity. Swimming offers muscle-building resistance without the same risk for injury and strain that terrestrial weight training does. It is also an exercise that constantly works the entire body. Even treading water requires the constant movement of your limbs and stimulates the abdominal muscles.

The beach is also a great place for jogging, especially flat beaches that have exceptionally low tides. I always find running on such a flat plain much more thrilling and multi-dimensional than running on a linear path through the forest or on the side of the road.

3. Sunlight

Many flock to the beach to bronze up, and with good reason. The sand and water constantly refract sunlight in all directions, ensuring even body coverage. However, by that same token we also have to be extra vigilant as far as sun protection is concerned. Sunglasses, a wide-brimmed hat, and sunscreen are all musts if you plan on spending a lot of time at the beach. I personally wouldn’t directly sunbathe for a second longer than ten minutes at time, and recommend that nobody do so for any longer than twenty. All of this of course depending on the sun’s intensity at any given time. We all know how harmful sunlight can be, but even if you manage to dodge sunburns, tanning too deeply and regularly can also cause complications such as skin cancer.

4. Fresh Air

Briny ocean air not only smells good, but it’s good for you too. Simply breathing in sea mist can also have a positive impact on your immune system by clearing your lungs and enacting purification similar to that which occurs over your entire body while swimming. On a more general note, fresh air reduces stress and calms the mind. It is important to occasionally leave the hustle and bustle of modern life behind in order to, pardon my excessively new-age sentiment, let the voice of Mother Nature soothe her children.

working

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy

Show Details
Necessary
HubPages Device IDThis is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.
Google RecaptchaThis is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy)
AkismetThis is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Traffic PixelThis is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized.
Amazon Web ServicesThis is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy)
CloudflareThis is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy)
Google Hosted LibrariesJavascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy)
Features
Google Custom SearchThis is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy)
Google MapsSome articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
Google ChartsThis is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)
Google AdSense Host APIThis service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Google YouTubeSome articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
VimeoSome articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
PaypalThis is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook LoginYou can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
MavenThis supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)
Marketing
Google AdSenseThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Google DoubleClickGoogle provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Index ExchangeThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
SovrnThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook AdsThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Unified Ad MarketplaceThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
AppNexusThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
OpenxThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Rubicon ProjectThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
TripleLiftThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Say MediaWe partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy)
Remarketing PixelsWe may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.
Conversion Tracking PixelsWe may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.
Statistics
Author Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)
ComscoreComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Tracking PixelSome articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)
ClickscoThis is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy)